APAH makes appeal for all animal charities

THE PROBLEM that not just APAH, but all other charities like us are facing, is that animals, once again, are innocent victims.

Animals in shelters have already faced abandonment, neglect and often horrendous abuse before they are lucky enough (some of them at least) to be rescued and taken into the safety of shelters.

Now the very future of those shelters, and the future of the animals in their care, is once again at risk.

All charities depend on the support and goodwill of people for their very survival. Whether it’s through money earned in various charity shops, through fundraising events or cash donations, without people’s help, we cannot survive.

I’m certain that most charities operate on a shoestring budget. There is no huge sum of money sitting in bank accounts as buffers. For most, I’m sure money goes out even quicker than it comes in. Think of the cost of keeping one household pet fed and healthy. Multiply that by dozens of dogs and cats, and the picture becomes bleak.

Charity shops are considered nonessential shops so, like many others, we are unable to open at the moment. Groups of people are prohibited, so fundraising events are also impossible.

APAH has been running an appeal for donations and some people have been supportive and generous, but a crisis like this brings home what a knife edge most charities operate on.

I truly hope with all my heart that no animal charity has to lose lives through this, and that every one of us comes out the other side still able to do the job we have committed our lives to doing.

I am hoping that this will highlight to the public the problem all of us are facing on a daily basis: how to keep alive those animals who have put their trust and their lives in our hands?

If any people out there are animal lovers or pet owners and this has made them think of the struggle we are all facing to get through this, I ask them: find out where your nearest shelter is and ask if they would like even a tiny donation.

One euro may not seem a lot, not even the price of a coffee, but imagine what it would mean to a charity if many more people offered the same.

If you already support a charity, then well done you, but still please ask them if they would like some help. I’m sure they’ll be very grateful.

In APAH’s case, we have said we will fight to the very end to keep all our animals alive and well, but we could do with a little help, and will be grateful for it, however small.

For details of how to help,, see http://apahrescue.org or APAH Rescue on Facebook or one of the other animal charities in the Social section pages.