SPCA needs urgent help to keep its doors open
The Germiston SPCA is in desperate need of funding.
For many animals in the city, the Germiston Bedfordview SPCA is the only place they can seek refuge, whether they have been abandoned, lost or treated cruelly.
However, this might soon no longer be the case as the society is in dire straits financially, and without urgent financial assistance the doors might soon close to the animals.
This was the warning issued by the SPCA’s manager Burt Coetzee and treasurer Cathy Valente-Parkinson.
“The Germiston SPCA ran on 14 staff members two years ago and now the staff complement has been drastically cut down to eight due to the economic climate and lack of financial support,” said Cathy.
Burt said that about 80 per cent of the funds raised go towards the veterinary costs of spaying and neutering pets that come into the SPCA’s care. The rest of the funds go toward medication, medical care and the emergency treatment of animals.
The SPCA receives roughly 400 to 600 animals per month that are either stray, unwanted or donated animals, whereby the owners are unable to keep their animals.
The SPCA currently has roughly 250 animals in its care, the upkeep of which requires staff, utilities and food, to keep the facility going.
“The annual operating costs are close to R1.9-million, an amount close to the organisation’s veterinary and salary costs for the year,” Cathy said.
“At the end of this financial year, which was at the end of March, the Germiston SPCA suffered a loss of almost R400 000.
“Its sources of funding – donations, fund-raising events and adoption fees – are not adequate to cover the basic expenses.
“There is a great deal of poverty in the area, which makes the raising of funds extremely difficult,” said Cathy.
The SPCA is not a government-funded organisation and relies solely on the generosity of the public and their support.
“We are a small SPCA covering a huge area, which encompasses Highway Gardens, Klopper Park (and various surrounding suburbs), as well as the entire Bedfordview area, the whole of Germiston right up to Katlehong and Zonkizizwe, totalling an area of 74 suburbs stretching over roughly 182 square kilometres,” said Cathy.
“The key factor is funding, especially as no financial support is received from government, and any income that is received from the municipality is a payment for services rendered either in connection with enforcing by-laws or taking in strays or unwanted animals in the respective suburbs in our jurisdiction.
“An appeal is made to the community not to take your local SPCA for granted.
“Your help is needed to raise funds for the rising costs.
“The SPCA provides a service which is essential to the animals and the community.”
Due to the fact that the Germiston Bedfordview SPCA is so small, it does not have an in-house vet.
The staff are extremely grateful and thankful to vets in the area for assisting them, namely, Witfield Animal Clinic, Germiston Animal Hospital, Bedfordview Veterinary Hospital, Lambton Veterinary Hospital and Kloof Road Veterinary Hospital for their help in sterilising the animals and thereby helping the society keep the adoption fees as low as possible and making it possible for the SPCA to home more animals.
The SPCA further thanked GDARD (Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) who further assist on a weekly basis to sterilise and neuter the animals from the rural, poor or previously disadvantaged communities.
“We, therefore, rely greatly on the community for their financial help to keep the SPCA’s doors open.
“Some members of the community do not feel comfortable to donate money to the society in the fear that those said funds will be misused. If one prefers, one can pay directly into our vet account, which currently has an amount in excess of R100 000 owing,” said Cathy.
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