Animal lover's generous present
Amy Shanks
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 6:22

'Hastings and districts SPCA has been gifted a new animal ambulance worth $40,000 by an anonymous donor who read of the shelter's plight in Hawke's Bay Today.

The local animal lover, who did not want to be named or praised said they were not wealthy, but felt compelled to help the vital community service.

"The only reason I can gift the new vehicle is because I don't have a flash house and live a modest lifestyle," the donor said.

"I do however, have a lifelong love of animals, I'm really concerned about animal welfare and I wanted to support the local SPCA and its volunteers who do a wonderful job."

The ambulance provided a vital 24 hour on-call service, but the shelter's old vehicle had become unreliable and was in need of an upgrade.

" It's been a real boost to us to have someone step forward and show their support like this," branch president Sharon Arcus said.

Such a generous donation meant a lot to a shelter, which struggled to fund basic annual operating costs of $200,000.

"The committee has been working hard ... but costs are rising and funding is getting harder to source," she said.

It was hoped the vehicle would not only provide an essential service for injured animals, but raise the organisation's profile.

"The [donor] had a vision of an eye-catching new van with fantastic graphics and personalised plates and they not only provided funds for the project, but much of their time to see the vision through to completion," Ms Arcus said.

"They secured the personalised plate 'HELPUS', searched for the graphics and approached local businesses to support the project."

Unison Networks graphic designer Dylan Findlay gave his time to create artwork for the van, while 3M and 10 volunteers from the Hawke's Bay NZ Sign and Display Association applied graphics in a working bee last week.

Ms Arcus said the vehicle represented a new direction for the local branch, which wanted to establish a more visible presence in the community: "We have been thrilled that everybody who was asked to support the project has been so willing to do so."

Final touches were being added to the van, including a safety grill donated by Campbell Bros and interior panels by Axis Routered Innovations. The John Holt Memorial Trust provided a grant which would pay for a purpose-built crate and waterproofing as well as first aid kits and other equipment.

"We can not say how great it has been seeing the dream become a reality," Ms Arcus said, expressing appreciation for community support, "especially the generous individual who purchased the vehicle for us and saw the vision through to this end result."'
http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/news/animal-lovers-generous-present/1486106/