Dear supporter,
As you are aware, a commitment was made prior to the last election that our new fit for purpose campus and animal care shelter would be constructed in this current term of Government.
Despite receiving bipartisan support to relocate and having secured a new location in Pialligo, it has NOT yet resulted in the new campus being built.
I am reaching out, asking for your help so that we can make Project Home a government priority, ensure that adequate funding is available and get construction underway as quickly as is possible, without further delay.
I am incredibly proud of what our staff and volunteers achieve in animal welfare, however in our current facility we are merely managing the issue on a day-to-day basis, rather than getting ahead of it. And some days, it is a struggle to even stay on top of what we need to do as our infrastructure works against us, for example to consistently perform high volume desexing for the large number of cats in our care.
In May and June this year we have seen 30-40% more animals arriving at our shelter than last year, the complexities of needs which animals require is ever expanding and, on most days, our current facility is operating over maximum capacity bringing our staff and volunteers to breaking point.
There are significant waiting lists for us to accept surrendered animals and for animals to be desexed; our vet clinic is tiny (it’s literally a small, repurposed house, built in the 1950’s). The demands of animal welfare management keeps rising whilst our capacity to respond proactively is diminishing in an ageing, weathered and worn compound.
Our amazing team makes magic every day with very little enabling infrastructure, and the great outcomes we achieve is despite our facilities.
In conversation with some of our supporters, I have learned that pre-written letter would be useful to help build some momentum around prioritising Project Home as we head into another ACT Government election. Please therefore see attached a letter of support that you could use as a guide or use as is, sign it and forward it to your local member of the Legislative Assembly and/or local election candidates.
The letter will also help if you are in a position to raise this issue in conversation with people you encounter.
With a purpose-built animal care campus, we can help ACT animals more efficiently, better educate the community and work together to improve understanding of animal ownership and responsible pet owners.
Thanks for all the love and support you have shown us thus far.
Warm regards,
Michelle Robertson
Chief Executive
PS: If you do write to your MLA please cc rspca@rspca-act.org.au into the email, we’d love to know how much support we have!
P.P.S: Supporter, we value your support and your opinions immensely.