Supporting beloved pets this Christmas

BELLARINE’S Cherished Pets Foundation is calling on the local community to dig deep these holidays and donate to its Christmas campaign.

The foundation is built on community, providing support to vulnerable people and their pets, with health checks and pairing volunteers with elderly residents to help look after their animals.

Throughout 2022 and 2023 the foundation was receiving funding from the state government to run crisis care for pets, unfortunately this wasn’t continued into 2024.

Cherished Pets Foundation founding director Alicia Kennedy said the charity is struggling to meet the demand in everything they do.

“We’ve received generous support this year from both Geelong Community Foundation and Anthony Costa Foundation, both of which have enabled us to continue our services, we are deeply grateful.

“However, with the loss of government funding we face a shortfall, so we are calling on our community to support us now so that we can continue to support vulnerable community members with their cherished pets.”

“We’ve got up to $25,000 match donations, that means if people make a donation, whether it’s a one off donation or regular monthly giving it’ll be matched up to $25,000.”

Donations are being doubled by Cooper Investors, dog food company Lyka and an anonymous donor.

Ms Kennedy said the money raised from the campaign would allow the foundation to support more people in the region.

“At the moment we support 40 residents with home pet care assistance through our volunteer program and our community vet nurse service.

“We’re having to turn away two out of three requests for crisis care because we don’t have the capacity to take them on.”

The volunteer program is a big part of the foundation, creating friendships between those donating their time and the Cherished Pets community.

“It’s a companionship that comes through the volunteer program that is as important as supporting the pets of vulnerable people.”

The foundation is also appealing to people to consider making a monthly donation of $25 or $30 so they have got a sustainable revenue coming in to support their work.

For more information or to donate to the Christmas campaign, head to cherished-pets.raiselysite.com