The Midrand SPCA has pleaded with businesses and community members to assist with funding.
The organisation told the Midrand Reporter on 19 May that they desperately needed funding due to the influx in cases they have had to deal with and the limited funds available to attend those cases.
Chairperson of the organisation, Brenda Lucas said that people are often mistaken in thinking that the organisation only deals with cruelty complaints on a once-off basis.
Lucas said this is not the case as their inspectors have to do follow-ups on a regular basis. She explained that if they issued a warning, they need to go out within 24 hours to make sure that people have adhered to those warnings. “It is time-consuming and costs us money. If you look at the borders of Midrand, it is not like we are just travelling out two to three kilometres.”
Lucas added, “Funding has just been very slow. Donations are great, and will always be needed, but I think as much as that is appreciated, we need money to remain operational.”
He said that it costs a great deal of money to keep the organisation running, from electricity bills to water and salaries among other things.
General manager Pamela Pretorius added that the organisation is more than just an adoption agency. “Our core function is [addressing, treatment and prevention of] cruelty to animals but that is where we are not able to get funds from, and at the same time, we are in desperate need of more inspectors to be able to do outreaches in areas where people do not have transport to come to us or get to people that are not able to communicate to us.”
She said they need to expand and obtain more office space in order to complete the necessary paperwork. “We need to build a hospital and clinic because there is a big lack of money. People just do not have money, so more people come to the SPCA with their injured and sick animals to ask for help and we have to assist them in our limited space.”
Pretorius concluded that it would be wonderful if funders could donate cash or contact them regarding building materials, construction work and architectural drawings to help them build their clinic. “Anything that can assist us would be appreciated, even if it is from a spacing perspective like containers, those could help us sort out our storerooms.”
Details: Midrand SPCA 011 265 9935.
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