SPCA says donate directly!

(2006-05-15)

Warning against dubious collection practices

The National Council of SPCAs again urges the public to donate directly to the individual SPCAs and not to hand over money to collectors on the street who may claim to be acting for "the SPCA".

The SPCA does not use 3rd parties to collect funds. No-one collects for the SPCA except for the SPCA itself and these collectors will have identification and documentation on them.

Public enquiry led the NSPCA to investigate the Cassos Progressive Trust whose representatives openly solicit funds for animal welfare. When the NSPCA spoke to Trustee Ingrid Engelbert, she explained that collectors were recruited and were paid for carrying out this task, that expenses came off the income such as transport for the collectors. Once a lump sum had been collected, donations would be made either in cash or "in kind" (ie pet food) to various animal welfare organisations.

Only one SPCA in Gauteng has a record of one donation of R100 being made by the Cassos Progressive Trust. This is all that can be traced.

DONATE DIRECTLY! This way, 100% of your donation reaches the SPCA: - no “middlemen” or agents, no travelling expenses or other costs deducted and no waiting until a lump sum has been accumulated.

Practices such as the one outlined do appear from time to time. Please do not support them.

The route the NSPCA has decided to take is to educate the public, to warn people to recognise that unless it is an official SPCA collection day at a shopping centre when official collectors are out in force, it is not the practice to stand and ask for money from passers-by or shoppers.

Kind-hearted people who are concerned about animals are asked to donate directly.