Bleak festive season ahead for 300 animals
"As a result, we’re on the back foot for food supplies for the December and January period and are appealing to the public to assist."
Animal Ambulance, a 24-hour emergency shelter for sick and abused animals, is home to 300 animals including dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, pigs, goats and sheep.
These animals have all been rescued from dire circumstances and given a second chance, thanks to the care and compassion of the pro-life shelter.
The Animal Ambulance was established in 2002 as a non-profit organisation and depends entirely on donations from individuals and fundraising events.
The purpose of the shelter is to aid abused and sick animals who, without our help, would die an often painful death. At the shelter, the animals are treated like family and are not kept outdoors, in a cage or a kennel.
They are not watchdogs – they are pets. This year Animal Ambulance has been hard hit. Founder of the shelter, Maria Conradie, said that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone, physically, financially and emotionally.
“As an animal shelter, it’s been devastating – our intake increased due to animal owners not having funds to care for their pets and our re-homing has decreased due to the lockdown restrictions.
“As a result, we’re on the back foot for food supplies for the December and January period and are appealing to the public to assist,” she said.
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Conradie stated that it costs the shelter around R45 000 per month to feed the animals in its care.
The organisation has received a donation of R25 000, but the balance is still outstanding. “A R350 meal ticket makes the perfect Christmas gift and will go a long way to keep our shelter afloat and our animals fed.
The funds are also used in Animal Ambulance’s outreach work in rural areas,” she said. “We believe animals should have a second chance in life.
“After the animal is rehabilitated, we offer them up for adoption in exchange for a fee. All our dogs are sterilised except the puppies,” Conradie said.
To sponsor a meal ticket, visit www.quicket.co.za “Meal tickets for Animal Ambulance 2021” Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
