Community Spirit Offers High Hopes For Animals

The nation’s animal lovers will have their chance to offer some festive hope and goodwill to the animals this week by supporting SAFE’s annual appeal. New Zealand’s second largest animal advocacy organisation will hold its eighth annual street appeal in 37 centres around the country – a record number of cities and towns to be involved.

Over 1000 caring volunteers are expected to don brightly coloured fun fur and feathers and take to the streets dressed as cats, dogs, rabbits, cows, chickens, ducks, lions and even reindeer. The humorous antics are geared towards enticing the public to give generously for the animals. SAFE hopes to raise $300,000 to further its work campaigning against animal cruelty within New Zealand.

SAFE is confident inner-city shoppers and office workers will have no trouble spotting the furry free-ranging menagerie seeking donations from passers by. Collectors will be positioned on busy inner-city streets and outside suburban malls from 8am this Friday.

2007 marks SAFE’s 75th year of speaking out on behalf of animals in New Zealand. With two offices, a cruelty-free store, 12 staff and a supporter base of over 12,000 SAFE today maintains a busy schedule of high-profile campaigns and educational activities along with providing humane education resources to schools. SAFE’s latest campaign highlights the plight of factory farmed pigs and has attracted widespread public and celebrity support (www.lovepigs.org.nz ).

Cities and towns involved in SAFE’s appeal:
Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Raglan, Rotorua, Gisborne, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Napier, Hastings, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Levin, Feilding, Kapiti Coast, Lower/Upper Hutt, Wellington, Nelson, Richmond, Takaka, Blenheim, Greymouth, Hokitika, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Cromwell, Queenstown and Invercargill.

ENDS

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