SPCA in White River desperately needs money to keep doors open
The White River SPCA shared an impassioned plea on Facebook, urging the community to help the organisation to keep its doors open.
Although the numbers vary, the SPCA in White River currently has ten cats and nine dogs in its care.
“We are at a breaking point. Without immediate financial aid, we will be forced to close our doors, leaving countless animals vulnerable and without care. Our resources are stretched to the limit — we simply do not have the money to continue our life-saving work.
PHOTOS: Some of the animals that are up for adoption at the White River SPCA.
“As a non-profit organisation, we receive no government funding or external financial support, yet we continue to serve as the local pound for our town and surrounding areas, taking in animals that have nowhere else to go,” Estelle de Villiers, treasurer of the White River SPCA said in a post on Facebook.
The pound agreement that the SPCA has with the City of Mbombela lapsed a few years ago and is in the process of being renegotiated.
The White River SPCA needs about R100 000 per month to survive. The organisation covers a large area around White River and looks after neglected and abandoned animals from as far as Sabie, Hazyview and Burshbuckridge.
Salaries, petrol, food for the animals, veterinary bills, cleaning materials and administration expenses all add up. The organisation has nine employees, and the monthly salary bill is about R70 000. Local veterinarians do give discounts, but the medical needs of the animals remain expensive.
The building in White River that the SPCA operates from belongs to the municipality. There is land around the building that the SPCA committee has come up with ideas for to boost income, but they will need sponsors to get these projects off the ground.
“Every donation, no matter how small, can make a huge difference. By supporting the White River SPCA, you are directly helping to provide shelter, food, and medical care to the animals that need it most. You are also ensuring that our community has a safe place for stray, abandoned, and neglected animals to find hope, healing, and a chance at a better life,” De Villiers concluded.
She says the organisation is also in urgent need of a brushcutter to create a fire break on the premises.
