Animal rescue NPO closes doors due to funding

A LACK of funding had led a local animal rescue NPO to close their doors temporarily. Founder of Phoenix Animal Care and Rescue (PACT), Neeri Naidoo, said they are forced to close their doors temporarily to raise funds for their R143 000 vet bill. 

“We have to close at this point, we are not taking in any more animals. We are already struggling to fulfill our current responsibility to feed all the animals already in our care,” she said.

Naidoo said their cases tripled during the lockdown, as PACT took on the task of feeding animals in township areas hit hard by the lockdown.

Also read: uMhlanga gym gives PACT a helping ‘lift’

“We did have quite a few successful virtual fundraisers that helped us settle one of our biggest bills and pay towards the others. In the last two months, we’ve experienced a sudden fall in donations and a rise in cases. We haven’t been able to get enough food in for the animals that rely on us. We had two calls yesterday for dog and cat food and we’re still trying to figure out how to make a plan there,” she added.

Not only is PACT running at full capacity, but they are saddled with a substantial vet bill to pay. “It is really no fault of any of our vets, they have been giving us generous discounts, it’s just the amount of cases we’ve had,” said Naidoo.

Also read: WATCH: Heartbreak as rescued animals return to kennel after adoption day

The NPO is hosting the PACT Elite International golf day at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club to raise funds toward their bill. The event takes place on 17 December. The first tee-off is at 10.50 am. For more information, call Keshlin on 076 154 3556.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.

You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.  

For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram