Pets displaced by cyclone find refuge at Hastings Racecourse

Wellington-based animal shelter Helping You Help Animals, or HUHA, rushed to the East Coast to rescue animals displaced by Cyclone Gabrielle — and it's operating from a temporary base at the Hastings Racecourse.

HUHA founder Carolyn Press-McKenzie is helping run the pet evacuation centre and has praised the community for its "incredible" donations.

"At the moment we're just asking for dried kibble because that's what we can load onto the helicopters," she said.

Every dog has so far been reconnected with its owner, which has created some "amazing and very emotional" moments when owners come to collect them.

More on this topic

Cyclone Gabrielle: Teams work to reunite animals with owners

Mon, Feb 20

1:42

"One lady said to me 'I've lost everything', but as we reconnected her with her dog, [she said] 'now I've got everything', so that's what it's all about really," Press-McKenzie said.

Watch the full story in the video above.