The DBN & SPCA’s plight of no food for pets and a lack of sponsored funding was picked up by two law firms in Durban, each of whom have a Partner serving on Management Board of the SPCA Board in a voluntary capacity. The reality of the December figures are disheartening and sad to say the least.
In the month of December, 631 dogs and 647 cats were taken in by the Springfield Park branch alone – either by being “dumped” there or by being picked up as strays. Those figures do not include the staggering number that were seized from owners as a result of cruelty complaints, or the number of investigations that are in progress.
The SPCA depends on the generosity of animal lovers to fund its work and that generosity takes the form of pet food, items capable of being sold at the shop or book sales, and of course cash donations. Currently the Durban branch has used up all its stock of donated food and is having to buy the food for the animals in its care. This places a huge burden on their cash resources and each of the committee members are appealing to friends, family, fellow colleagues and the public to assist them in building up the stock of pet food.
This dire situation resulted in the very first Durban SPCA Food Challenge taking place between Garlicke & Bousfield Attorneys and Cox Yeats Attorneys.
Both Cox Yeats and Garlicke & Bousfield took up this worthy cause and challenged their staff to donate pet food over the short period of 5 days. An incredible amount of pet food was delivered to the Durban SPCA on Friday morning by both firms. This first challenge, although won by Cox Yeats Attorneys, was in fact a win for everyone involved, especially the animals being sheltered and fed at the Durban SPCA.
SPCA General Manager, Caroline Smith said, “A huge thanks to both Michael Jackson of Cox Yeats and Yvonne Boden of Garlicke & Bousfield and their staff for driving this initiative! We are thrilled at the result of our first ‘Food Challenge”.
Cox Yeats Attorneys and Garlicke & Bousfield Attorneys would like to challenge all other law firms in Durban to match or better their donations to the Durban SPCA, over a period of 5 days.