One morning, in the spring of 2015, my then 21-year-old son Sam and I, received a phone call from the RSPCA in Weston. One of their pregnant rescue dogs had finally given birth to a large litter of puppies.

It was to be our third trip to look for a puppy, but it took less than a minute, standing outside that puppy pen to realise it would be our last.

“That’s him Mum. That’s the one,” said Sam.

And it was. For the moment this long legged, bright-eyed puppy clamoured over his siblings to push his face up through the mesh toward Sam, he claimed his place in our family.

We couldn’t know though, the extent to which little ‘Ovie’ as he was then known, and whose worth was significantly underestimated when his mother became homeless, would change our lives.

A few weeks before, Sam had been in a terrible car accident.

And in a moment of innate wisdom, Sam recognised that he needed something, or rather someone, to help both he and us, navigate the unfolding trauma that events like this, can represent.

Ovie became ‘Ninja’ by the time he arrived home.

Sam remembers, “Ninja came into my life when I needed him most.”

Not only would Ninja inject a much-needed focal point of joy into our family then, and an extra sense of purpose for Sam as he recovered, but he has continued to infuse our lives, with affection, laughter, companionship and fun, to this day.

Ninja has seen us through personal and family challenges, joys, losses, achievements, and change.

Anyone close to our family, knows, and loves, Ninja.

“I don’t know what I would do without him,” says Sam.

We don’t either.

Sadly, however, the circumstances which led to Ninja being born in a rescue shelter, not only continue ten years, on, but have increased exponentially.

More than 265 puppies have arrived at the RSPCA ACT shelter this financial year, exceeding recent records, and which are far more than any staff member can recall over the past decade.

There are currently 40 puppies in care; some just a few weeks old, some slightly older and some now ready for adoption aged around nine weeks.

RSPCA ACT CEO Michelle Robertson says trying to manage the problem is quickly becoming untenable.

“We are receiving pregnant mums who themselves are not healthy, neo natal puppies, and puppies being born with severe deformities due to irresponsible breeding. It is quite confronting,” she says.

“These pregnant mums often look like they were not loved or cared for. It’s as if some of these irresponsible people simply think they’re someone else’s problem.  And that ‘someone else’ is us and our supporters.”

RSPCA ACT is pleading with Canberra dog owners to desex their pets, and to utilise the subsidized RSPCA service, who are now offering extra days of service.

Though acknowledging they can only go so far and that more is needed to address this complex problem.

“We have to break the cycle,” says Ms Robertson.

“Irresponsible pet owners are burdening animal shelters and the entire community and simply perpetuating cycles of neglect.”

What is driving this increase in unwanted dogs in the ACT?

“I don’t think it’s a singular thing,” says Ms Robertson.

“There’s more that we need to understand, so that means that we’re going to have to ask some questions and really try and get to the bottom of this,” she says.

Ms Robertson believes that increased financial hardship is certainly a factor, with people genuinely struggling.

“I have a lot of respect for those who do bring their dogs in, knowing that they cannot care for them properly,” she says.

“However, a lot of it is attitudinal… where some people just don’t think it’s a problem.

They can just have the puppies and give up the puppies or sell the puppies. It’s not thinking about the long-term implications and what that is doing to us as a community”.

Ms Robertson encourages us all to have conversations with each other to help address this.

“There are many amazing and responsible pet owners in Canberra. If we have people in our lives who don’t always do the right thing, just having conversations with them to educate them.”

“In time we can shift those attitudes.”

And what about the puppies currently needing homes?

Ms Robertson encourages people to stop seeing rescue puppies as ‘less than’ pedigree ones.

“Many of us foster puppies when they are small, and it takes me less than 24 hours to fall in love with them,” she says.

“There’s a lot of science about how animals make us better. It is true that the relationship works both ways.

“We can give a good life to animals that come from a rescue situation. And I think there’s a certain sense of pride and we can wear that badge with honour… when you’ve given an animal a really good life.

“But they also give us a good life.”

Ninja now lives with Sam in his own home and is visited by the rest of us regularly as an integral part of our family.

We have done our best to give him a good life.

But it will never be enough when compared to what this loving, affectionate, gentle giant, has given us.

There may be a ‘Ninja’ waiting for you to recognise them too in Weston.

What could you be missing without them? Visit rspca-act.org.au to find out more or find your next family member.