Boksburg SPCA manager Maggie Mudd explains how you can assist.
- Volunteering
The Boksburg SPCA is always happy to have people come to volunteer at the society. Their experience with working with animals would dictate what they could be asked to assist with.
Volunteer duties can range from feeding puppies, cats and kittens to spending some quality time with the more nervous cats and dogs to try and bring them out of their shells.
More experienced volunteers can be asked to walk the more confident dogs and also be trained to assist members of the public looking to adopt an animal.
All people volunteering must be older than 15 years of age and anyone under the age of 18 years would need to have a parent or guardian sign an indemnity form on their behalf.
Normally the busiest times at the SPCA is first thing in the morning, as this is when the feeding of the puppies, cats and kittens takes place, as well as the changing of any wet or dirty blankets and the moving of dogs from the pound kennels to the SPCA kennels.
Volunteers are usually asked to give of their time from 9am to noon.
People who work during the week can also volunteer on a Saturday morning from 9am to noon, but this would need to be arranged with the manager first.
- Donating household goods/clothes/shoes/knick-knacks
The society has a second-hand charity shop and donations of goods for re-sale are always most welcome.
The shop is open from Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to noon, but items can be dropped off at the SPCA any time during open hours.
All people making a donation will be asked to complete a donation form where the donated item is recorded.
There is also a space for the donator’s name and email address, and a thank you mail will be sent to the person making the donation.
- Donating second-hand books
The Boksburg SPCA also has a second-hand bookshop where all books (regardless of paperback or hard cover) are sold for just R5.
The society is always happy to accept second-hand books in good condition (as well as magazines).
The bookshop is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8.30am to noon and people can drop off unwanted books during these times, but donations of books can also be made any time during open hours.
- Donating old newspapers
As the society has an animal clinic at the Boksburg SPCA, they are always seeking old newspapers that they can use to line the clinic’s cages before the cats and dogs are placed inside.
These are replaced every day with fresh newspaper, so the SPCA goes through an awful lot of newspapers in any given week.
Any donations of this type are always very welcome.
- Donating puppy tins and cubes
The Boksburg SPCA always has a number of puppies in their care at any given time and these pups are fed up to three times per day to ensure that they develop at the correct rate.
Due to the frequency that the pups are fed, the cubes and tins of puppy meat do not last for very long, and anyone wishing to help the SPCA in any way could certainly purchase either puppy cubes or puppy tins.
To try and prevent runny tummies, the pups are fed the same tinned meat each day, and this is either puppy Boss or puppy Husky tinned meat.
- Donating kitten tins or pellets
Kittens do not eat at the same rate as pups do, but the SPCA also tries to give them the small kitten pellets, as well as the kitten tinned meat, as it has all the correct vitamins and minerals for a growing kitten.
- Handyman
There are always odd jobs that need doing in and around the SPCA, and anyone with handyman skills is always welcome.
This can be throwing cement, laying tiles, carrying out welding on the kennels – the list is long.
- Sit on the SPCA committee
An SPCA can have up to 10 members sitting on a committee at any given time. If someone feels they have the ability and strengths to actively contribute to the society, then they are asked to please send a one-page CV to boksburgspca.manager@gmail.com
- Donating two-litre plastic bottles (with caps)
The Boksburg SPCA works in the underprivileged areas on a daily basis and takes in ready-made dip to assist pet owners with the dipping of their dogs.
This dip is handed out in two-litre plastic bottles and any donations of such empty bottles will always be appreciated.
- Donating of ice-cream tubs
As with the plastic bottles, the society also use empty ice-cream containers as water or feed dishes for animals in the underprivileged areas that may have no containers to hold their water or food. Donation of these can be made at the office.
The Boksburg SPCA is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 4pm on a Friday and 8.30am to noon on a Saturday.
The office may be contacted during office hours on 011 916 5906/7.
