Just as the animal rescue organisation New Beginnings is about to celebrate its tenth birthday, panic ensued as the team saw their funds at an all-time low, placing their work in jeopardy.
Emain Fourie, founder and president of New Beginnings on the Maselspoort Road outside of Bloemfontein, says although they still face all kinds of crises, they are thankful for the public’s support.
“We had a big outreach on 21 May, and helped hundreds of animals, but the need was much bigger than we anticipated and what it was previously. This is the main reason for dwindling funds.”
They had a long meeting on Tuesday (30/05) to formulate plans.
“We are positive and will do everything to save New Beginnings.”
The organsation had to stop all activities last week due to its low bank account balance.
“We work night and day to get things going again. The public is so good to us, and we apprecialte it all,” Fourie told Bloem News on Tuesday.
Leana Truter, fundraiser for New Beginnings, says the charity had just over R2 000 in its bank account on Tuesday last week, and was already behind with its veterinary bills.
“We have many other bills to pay, sick animals, new rescues, and we have to care for 72 animals in our shelter.
“In ten years, we have never had a bank balance of this amount, and we have never been in such a serious situation.”
Fourie says to keep doing their work, they need a steady income to insure that staff gets paid, veterinary bills are paid, food is bought for the animals, and all other expenses are covered.
“We want to keep going into the community and help those animals that cannot fend for themselves.”
She explains that there are ten permanent staff members and the expenses for New Beginnings are around R210 000 per month. There are 25 volunteers assisting New Beginnings in projects.
In another bid to raise funds and celebrate its tenth birthday, New Beginnings will host a Dog Festival on Saturday (03/06) at Tuff Top Lawns and Estate from 08:00 to 14:00. It will be a special event where dogs will be pampered.
Entry to the event, with food stalls and pet treats, costs R20, while children and dogs enter for free. Special packages cost R200 to R300 and include a ten-minute session with a dog behaviorist, a photoshoot, a grooming session, and other treats for your furry best friend.
