Palmerston North student Danielle Adlam rescues four kittens and becomes a SPCA ambassador

Danielle Adlam with Tiger, one of the kittens she rescued from Victoria Esplanade. He is now named Zag and has found his forever home.

A chance encounter with four desperate kittens has spurred Danielle Adlam into fundraising for the SPCA.

In January, Danielle and her mum, Johannah Adlam, were walking at Victoria Esplanade in Palmerston North when they saw someone carrying a broken box.

A cat ran past them and Danielle, 6, spotted four tiny kittens trying to climb up a bank.

“They were so small and blended in so much with the ground that they were just about impossible to see,” Adlam says.

The dumped kittens were trying to follow their mother.

The Adlams phoned the SPCA and while they waited, kept the kittens away from the water.

Danielle named the quadruplets Tiger, Midnight, Tigerees and Nighttime.

Tiger’s eyes were glued shut with an infection and it was thought he would lose his sight but medication cleared the infection.

“It was so heartwarming to be able to see the two of them looking at each other, after worrying whether or not he would lose his eyes to his sickness,” Adlam says.

Danielle visited the kittens at the SPCA before they were adopted as she was always asking “How are my kittens?”

Two of the abandoned kittens Johannah and Danielle Adlam found at Victoria Esplanade in January.

Since the rescue, the Palmerston North student has been working hard to raise money for the SPCA. She went through her belongings and donated clothes and toys to the SPCA’s op shop. She collected blankets and towels for the animals to sleep on.

She has made and distributed donation jars for shops and is making and selling string bracelets and necklaces.

Danielle Adlam with the book SPCA staff member Kelsey made her. On the counter are the collection jars Danielle made for shops.

Danielle has already raised $1500 for the SPCA and now she has signed up for Treat Week and will raise more money by selling cupcakes. She has a profile as a Sweet Society member on the SPCA’s website.

Her favourite animal is “everything animal”.

At home, she has a black-and-white foxie called Jay, who she refers to as her brother.

“Every single day he kisses me and tries to lick me on the face.”

Adlam is studying vet nursing at UCOL Te Pūkenga and will finish mid-year. She says Danielle has always been comfortable with animals and wants to be a vet so she can be her mother’s boss.

The SPCA is encouraging animal lovers throughout New Zealand to bake a difference for animals in need from June 12-18.

Treat Week replaces the charity’s historic Cupcake Day appeal, extending activities from one day to a whole week, and expanding to include treats of the non-sugary variety.

Every dollar raised helps give vulnerable animals a second chance at life, interim chief executive Robyn Kiddle says.

Treat Week is a wonderful chance for individuals, teams and workplaces to come together for a small act of kindness that will make a big difference to animals in need.

SPCA receives only 8 per cent of its overall costs from the Government.

To register for Treat Week go to treatweek.spca.nz.

Danielle Adlam with Tiger, one of the kittens she rescued from Victoria Esplanade. He is now named Zag and has found his forever home.