Pet-food pile keeps growing

Holly Evans didn't want presents this year - she wants to feed the animals.

Holly Evans is still receiving pet food after she made a special request for her ninth birthday last month.

The Havelock North Primary pupil asked her birthday party guests to bring pet food for the local SPCA rather than presents.

Proud mum Michelle Evans said Holly's friends brought a "car bootload" of pet food to the party and somebody had also since dropped pet food off at her school.

"We are now on our second load to take there."

Holly said she was looking forward to another trip to the SPCA to play with the animals, including Biscuit the cat, a recent arrival she named during an earlier visit.

Taradale's Les Grierson is the latest person to add to the Evans' car load. After reading about Holly's birthday request in Hawke's Bay Today he went out and bought about $80 worth of cat food.

"I just thought she was worth supporting and that it would be lovely to buy her some food that she can take and give to the cats. It's superb a child could do that."

Hastings SPCA has entered its busiest period of the year, with about 400 animals expected to come through the shelter's doors in the next four months.

It costs about $23,000 per month to run the shelter, which doesn't receive any government funding or lotteries grants, meaning it is entirely supported by fundraising efforts by the local community.