Rescuing animals has always been a time-consuming profession, but in Hamilton it has become totally overwhelming and unsustainable for Donna Young.
Ms Young heads up New Lives Animal Rescue, a donation-dependent organisation she founded in October 2014 that focuses on saving and rehoming in-need animals.
But since SPCA Waikato was closed in November 2016, Ms Young has been left struggling to cope with the constant stream of animals that need her help.
SPCA Waikato said it was forced to shut its doors as a result of "financial challenges" that stopped the organisation providing "specialist care to the animals who need us".
It also admitted to Newshub to "trying to do too much for the limited resources we had" and having more services available than funding allowed.
While it has only recently re-opened, the closure left a significant gap in the region.
SPCA New Zealand chief executive Andrea Midgen says the centre's been reviewed and has now developed "a robust fundraising plan" so it can stay open for the long run.
In the SPCA's absence, Ms Young's humble Ohaupo house had been inundated with animals - so much so that upon Newshub's visit she'd given up her bedroom to home a family of kittens because she "doesn't believe in cages".
She didn't celebrate New Year's Eve - she was holed up in her house de-worming, feeding and medicating animals.
She talks passionately about the people who call her up with non-urgent issues, or simply want her to cover the costs of medical treatment for their pets.
When Newshub met her she had three abandoned puppies, about a dozen cats and a bulldog called Freckles under her roof, on top of a handful of animals that are her own.
We witnessed her juggling cleaning the animals' play areas, carrying out seemingly never-ending admin work and answering her ever-ringing phone to deal with people wanting her advice or wanting her to pick up animals, be they stray, abandoned or abused.
She's exhausted and frustrated in equal measure, but it's clear that she deeply loves the animals she's looking after, despite only having them for a matter of weeks or even days before finding them new homes.
"We've had some cases that have been horrific and some real welfare cases, where animals would've died if we hadn't stepped in, so it makes it worthwhile," Ms Young said.
New Lives Animal Rescue runs an op-shop in Hamilton East that helps to generate funds, and relies heavily on vets doing free work and donations and grants so it can take in more animals.
But there's just not enough money, resources or people to look after all of Waikato's animals in need, and it's all taken its toll on Ms Young.
"It's absolutely crazy," she said. "I don't have a life. This is my life."
The SPCA has now reopened their Waikato centre, but Ms Midgen says it's only open to the public by appointment.
"The centre will be bringing back more services as funding allows," she said.
"In a few weeks we will be opening our animal adoption areas again and we are in the process of rebuilding our foster family programme to help care for the cats and kittens that need to spend some time in foster homes before being adopted."
So while the SPCA is making a comeback, it's clear it will take a while to have the desired impact - and in the meantime New Lives is having to shoulder much of the burden.
Ms Midgen says she is thankful for the other rescue organisations in Waikato, which helped ensure animals in the region were cared for in their absence.
"It's so great that there are other animal rescue organisations in Waikato like New Lives that have been able to do such amazing work," she said.
"They have all done a wonderful job and countless animals have been saved as a result."
If you would like to foster an animal, report an animal in need or donate to New Lives, you can click here.
Newshub.
