World Animal Week fundraising has been a Piece of Cake!
Oct 15, 2008
© WSPA
Emmerdale actor Dominic Brunt helped WSPA supporters celebrate World Animal Week (4th – 10th October) when he visited a veterinary clinic in Manchester.
Dominic Brunt, who plays vet Paddy Kirk in the ITV 1 soap, presented prizes for an animal themed drawing competition, set up for pupils from a local primary school by the clinic.
The winner was Aidan, aged 8, and the two runners up Joshua and Connor, both aged 4.
Dominic Brunt says:
“I popped down to the Manchester Veterinary Clinic to give the children their prizes and to help them raise money for the World Society for the Protection of Animals or WSPA. Events like this one were being held across the country during World Animal Week to promote responsible pet ownership in countries where people who can not afford to or just do not know how to look after their pets properly.”
“It was a really enjoyable day and I was really proud of the children from the local school, their drawings were brilliant. They all seemed very passionate about animal welfare and wanted to support WSPA through showing what pets they would love to have including, an exotic bird, an ant farm and a penguin.”
WSPA kicked off this year’s World Animal Week by encouraging the UK to bake cakes for ‘It’s A Piece of Cake!’ events using recipes themed from countries where WSPA works, including Costa Rican Raison cake and African Pound Cake.
Approximately 200 veterinary surgeries, schools and local business all over the UK supported WSPA with themed events ranging from cake sales, bake offs, raffles, children’s competitions and many more fun and exciting activities.
How the funds raised will help animals
© WSPA
Money raised during World Animal Week will be used to fund mobile veterinary clinics in a number of countries that cannot afford any aid for their stray animal populations.
All over the world stray animals fight over food, causing themselves injuries that are rarely treated. A lack of funds leaves the strays suffering from hunger and disease, as a result these animals are often seen as a nuisance or health hazard by the people who live alongside them.
Out of the estimated 500 million dogs in the world, approximately 75% are strays.
How funds from World Animal Week will help strays in other countries:
In Costa Rica for example, it costs just £25 an hour to run the mobile veterinary clinic and education project for local people and their pets.
In this hour so much can be achieved to minimize animals’ suffering:
- 100 dogs and cats can be vaccinated against rabies
- 10 dogs or cats can be spayed to prevent unwanted puppies and kittens
- 15 dogs or cats can be neutered
- 100 people can be educated, just by walking past the specially painted murals that show why caring for and sterilizing animals is important in their community.
Thanks from WSPA!
© WSPA
Jane Rockliffe, WSPA Community Fundraising Manager, says:
"On behalf of WSPA, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who got involved in World Animal Week. There were some great events going on from freshly baked cake sales to raffles to teddy naming competitions."