The NSPCA is making a heartfelt appeal to car hire companies or corporates willing and able to sponsor or assist the society to subsidise car hire.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis may sound like an unusual request from an animal welfare organisation.<\/p>
\u201cYet the reality is that valued income has to be spent on the hiring of vehicles to enable essential work to be undertaken,\u201d said Christine Kuch, public relations officer for the NSPCA.<\/p>\n
To give but one example, the NSPCA\u2019s Animal Ethics Unit\u2019s key focus area is to replace the use of animals for research, teaching and training wherever possible, as well as reducing the number of animals used for research where feasible, and to refine the experimental methods and procedures to ensure the most humane treatment possible for animals in research environments.<\/p>
This involves serving on animal ethics committees.<\/p>\n
During 2016, a total of 164 ethics committee meetings were attended and NSPCA staff serve on 43 such committees.<\/p>\n
This is in addition to inspections at facilities where research on animals is undertaken.<\/p>\n
Travelling from the NSPCA\u2019s Gauteng base is necessary to do so and this is where the appeal for donated or sponsored car hire comes in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe usual requirement would be for a single day or at most for two consecutive days,\u201d explained Kuch.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith careful planning and budgeting of time and costing, air travel can be more economical than driving long distances.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then we have the factor of needing transport at the destination.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emergency situations also arise when, for the sake of speed, staff travel by air to assist animals and need a vehicle to take them to the scene once at the destination.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can reduce or eliminate these costs, it would make a huge difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are happy to provide detailed motivation and explanations to anyone willing to consider this request.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinance for this purpose is a genuine need.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NSPCA has approached car hire companies without success but maybe there is someone out there willing and able to make our wish for 2017 come true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyone wishing to assist can contact Kuch via email pr@nspca.co.za or by calling 011 907-3590.<\/p>\n
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Other articles you may be interested in:<\/p>\n
Special birthday donation for SPCA<\/a><\/p>\n SPCA tackles severe case of animal hoarding \u2014 43 dogs confiscated<\/a><\/p>\n