Wanaka Primary School pupil Neve Faed (8) cuddles a cat at
the SPCA Otago after donating boxes of food and bedding to
the Dunedin shelter yesterday. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Boxes of food, bedding, towels and old jumpers exchanged
for a couple of cats has a Wanaka Primary School pupil and SPCA
Otago staff smiling.
Neve Faed (8) delivered hundreds of dollars worth of donated
goods to SPCA Otago's Dunedin base yesterday and left with
two tabbies.
The Wanaka youngster and two classmates, Samara Goodall (8)
and Georgie Bruce (8), rallied support for the animal charity
by organising a mufti day when pupils donated goods that are
in demand at the SPCA.
SPCA Otago executive officer Phil Soper said cat and dog
food, old towels, blankets and jumpers were desperately
needed.
Half a dozen large boxes of food and materials donated in
Wanaka were delivered by Neve to the SPCA, where she also
took the opportunity to select a feline friend.
A cat for her grandmother was also adopted by the family.
Neve said she had wanted to somehow help animals and, with
friends, came up with the idea of donating to the SPCA, which
did not have a shelter in Wanaka.
Permission for the fundraiser was granted by the school's
principal.
Mr Soper said without community support, and particularly
donations of food and bedding, the charity would cease to
exist.
"A donation like this is massive. We hope that more people do
it because it's a great help to us," he said.
Neve challenged other school pupils to organise similar
fundraising initiatives for the charity.
About 60 cats and kittens, nine puppies and half a dozen dogs
at the Opoho facility are awaiting adoption.
SPCA Otago maintained an 80% "save" rate of its animals,
prompting national recognition, Mr Soper said.
In May, at a national SPCA conference, the Otago charity was
awarded certificates for increasing the number of animals it
saved by 10% in 2011 and for achieving a save rate of more
than 80% in the same year.
It was one of five SPCA branches, of the 48 in New Zealand,
to receive achievement awards.
"We've been operating for 130 years now, and the only reason
we continue to operate is the support from the community," Mr
Soper said.
- rosie.manins@odt.co.nz
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.