Animal charity PAWS spends up large
What started as a South Waikato woman’s desire to do right by animals has resulted in nearly $540,000 being spent on their welfare.
From 2009 to December 2016 animal welfare charity PAWS has given away just over $539,317 via short term grants and through its desexing programme for Community Services Card holders.
Putaruru based founder Meg Wilson, who was the South Waikato SPCA chair for 18 years, said she couldn’t be happier.
‘‘The majority of that, approximately $400,000, has gone to desexing. It’s only been seven years so it is not bad and I did a little dance when I found out,’’ she laughed.
She said she has been blown away by how quickly the charity has grown. It now has op-shops in Putaruru, Tokoroa, and Thames.
‘‘Our grants process allows people to apply for money for short term animal welfare needs. We have just done a dental on a dog for an elderly gentleman who couldn’t afford it where the dog was very distressed so it is great when we can step in and say we will help out,’’ she said.
‘‘We also get referrals from the Taupo SPCA inspector who will ring and say they have found something and ask if we can help.’’
‘‘We ask some people to pay us back because they can but it just means rabbits, cats, dogs, or even donkeys will not be in distress.’’
She said the vast majority of the money has been spend in the South Waikato where the charity has its largest presence.
‘‘For the desexing programme in the South Waikato, Vetora, South Waikato Veterinary Services, and Tokoroa and District Veterinary Services are all involved and from Whitianga to Paeroa FVC Veterinary Services,’’ she said.
‘‘We put a fixed amount into a vet and they all do it for very good prices. Its $30 for a cat and $80 for a dog.’’
‘‘We always encourage people to go into their vet to get their animals desexed because one cat, if none of its offspring are desexed, can be responsible for up to 280,000 cats,’’ she said.
Wilson said nothing would be possible without community support.
‘‘I asked one of the ladies in the vets to pick out a figure of how many they have desexed and she said you must be joking. It is just brilliant,’’ she said.