Doing it for the love of animals

Accompanied by furry SPCA friends are Shona Howe (left, Property Brokers)), centre manager Francie Flis and Joe Nugent (Property Brokers). Photo / Paul Brooks

Joe Nugent and Shona Howe, real estate agents with Property Brokers, know the value of the SPCA and its ongoing problems with funding. To that end, both of them donate a percentage of their sales proceeds to the organisation.

Joe has not long been in the property business, but in that short time he has raised more than $5000 for the SPCA.
"I just think it's a good thing to do," he says.

Shona has been doing it for much longer and has no idea how much she has given. "Every time I list and sell a property I donate to the SPCA," she says. "It's been a long-term thing with me because I have an interest in animal welfare. By and large, we are really reliant on the SPCA here in Whanganui."

SPCA is a national body and funding is allocated by head office.
"Funding goes where it is most needed, so it will most likely stay in Whanganui because we are most in need," says SPCA Whanganui centre manager Francie Flis.
"We rely on donations across the country to keep Whanganui going." She says people can state that they would like their donations to go to Whanganui.
Money to operate the SPCA comes from donations, bequests, grants and fundraising. The SPCA needs $47 million to operate and receives $2.5m from the Government each year that is earmarked for the inspectorate.
"That's because MPI is in charge of our inspectors who are warranted through MPI," says Francie. So the likes of Joe and Shona, plus all the other people who donate, are essential to the ongoing operation of the SPCA in Whanganui.
Shona says before Covid they would organise quiz nights from which the proceeds would go to the organisation, with sums sometimes around the $1500 to $2000 mark.

"The op shops are a big part, and the people donating their used goods and then buying from our op shops," says Francie. "It all comes back to the SPCA."
She says they get lots of children helping out with independent fundraising.
"It's good to see different ideas in the community to help the animals."

Volunteers also work at the centre, but Francie says they never have enough people willing to give up a little time to help the cause.
"Predominantly, our volunteers are animal care assistants. They come in in the morning and help with the cleaning of cages and helping with socialising animals. Some animals have had little human contact so to have different people come in every day who are gentle and trusting, socialising them makes them more enticing to new homes.
"We also have enrichment volunteers. They make homemade toys ... to make the cages more interesting. And we have students who come after school to help with feeding, dog walking and so on."
Francie says the centre can put long-term volunteers through Animal Care Level 3, an NZQA qualification.

Joe has volunteered to do dog walking, half-seriously thinking he might combine it with his leaflet deliveries. Shona used to dog-walk and says she will again.

"We never get enough fosterers," says Francie. "Currently we have 136 animals under our care. Obviously, we can't house 136 animals in this building, so we rely heavily on the community to take a couple of animals into their home in the short term, until they are adoptable. We get animals in that aren't ready for adoption just yet ... In that time we provide everything — crate, bedding, litter tray, litter, food, medication, anything you need.
"Fosterers always get first option to adopt."
There is a foster Facebook page and fosterers form a cyber community.

The SPCA usually has an annual street appeal, but Covid has stopped that and the appeal is now an online donation process.
The email address for those looking to leave a legacy in their will is givinghearts@spca.nz
For animals available to adopt or more information on volunteering/fostering, go to the SPCA website — www.spca.nz