SSPCA make 'Don't forget the animals' plea as new campaign launched
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THE SSPCA has launched a new campaign with a simple message – don’t forget the animals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scotland’s animal welfare charity has launched Don’t Forget the Animals as it continues to deliver its life-saving services to animals nationwide. Despite a fall in membership and donations due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Society’s dedicated animal care teams have helped thousands of animals over the past month.
In recent weeks, the Scottish SPCA has seen almost 1500 members stop their monthly donations. This, combined with the cancellation of fundraising events and challenges, means the charity could face losing up to 20 per cent of its income this year in a worst-case scenario.
The Society’s centre at Drumoak in Aberdeenshire needs more than £45,000 every month to care for animals.
Since the nation entered lockdown on March 23, the SSPCA has fielded over 11,000 calls to its animal helpline and responded to over 4400 reports of animals in urgent need.
The charity launched an emergency fostering service to free-up space as it continued to rescue animals without being able to rehome. More than 130 animals have gone to foster homes, with over 300 animals seized on welfare grounds or picked up as strays coming in to rescue centres over the same period. Over 700 animals are receiving rehabilitation at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre, which is getting busier all the time as the weather improves.
The Scottish SPCA has also had to suspend its education programme, instead offering a suite of free home-learning resources for parents, carers and teachers across Scotland.
The involvement of the Scottish SPCA can be the difference between life or death for kittens like Ant, Becky and Demi. The trio were brought to the Aberdeenshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre at just one week old after their mother was found dead.
At that age, they would be dependent on their mum. The team at the centre had to provide round-the-clock care, which meant feeding them every two hours, even through the night. It was touch-and-go for a time but Ant, Becky and Demi are thriving. The siblings are now weaned and on to kitten meat and biscuits.
Centre manager Louise Griese said, “Our frontline teams, whether on our helpline, out on the road, or in a rescue centre, are still here fighting to rescue and care for every single animal we can.
“We know Scotland is a nation of animal lovers and now, more than ever, we ask that they don’t forget the animals.
“Every single person who signs up to support us with a monthly donation will make a difference and will save lives.
“Our aim is to be here as long as animals and people need us, giving animals like Ant, Becky and Demi their second chance in life.”
The Scottish SPCA receives no government funding and is entirely reliant on donations from the public. The Society recently revealed a survey which found 25 per cent of people confuse the organisation with the RSPCA, which does the same work but in England and Wales only. Seven per cent of Scots have donated to the RSPCA since December 2018.
To find out more about the #DontForgetTheAnimals campaign and becoming a member of the Scottish SPCA, visit www.scottishspca.org/join
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