Volunteer Timia Harris has gone to extreme lengths to support animals, now she has the tattoo to prove it.
While scrolling through the Facebook page for SAFE New Zealand recently the Rotorua 22-year-old found herself signing up to spend 40 hours in a cage.
Miss Harris said the decision tovolunteer was easy because she was "disgusted" by the way people treated animals.
"I went vegetarian, then vegan about a year ago."
SAFE public relations manager Amanda Sorrenson said Miss Harris was an example of the kind of volunteer who went above and beyond, and way out of her comfort zone, to do good for a good cause.
"It was definitely out of my comfort zone, and a real eye opener.
"It's a great cause, and I think people should be educated and aware of what happens to these beautiful animals before they hit their plate."
While in the cage Miss Harris was only referred to by the number she wore on a necklace, 7616, and she has since had that permanently inked on her arm.
"For me tattoos represent passion and they mean stuff to me.
"I wanted to get that to represent why I chose to be vegan, and it's a great conversation starter."
Miss Harris said that if it was a good cause and people were truly passionate about it then they should volunteer.
She is working part-time as a support worker while she completes a Bachelor of Applied Sciences.
National Volunteer Week recognises and celebrates the vital contribution of New Zealand's 1.2 million volunteers in areas as diverse as social development, the economy and the environment.
