Hunter animal watch inc.

Charity No. CFN15806

 

President:   Pam Hopkins,                                   Tel: 02 49664344

Secretary:  Olga Parkes                                     Tel: 02 49521358

Treasurer:  Pat Hinton                                        Tel: 02 49641002

June 2011

Annual newsletter No. 14

 

Hunter Animal Watch is a member society of Animals Australia.  Our aims are:

¨     To operate a subsidised pet spay/neuter programme to financially assist pensioners and the unemployed.

¨     To promote animal welfare

 

Desex programme –progress to date

Hunter Animal Watch was established in 1998.  Since then we have given financial help to spay/neuter over TWENTY ONE thousand animals belonging to pensioners and unemployed people in the Lower Hunter.  oVER FIFTEEN HUNDRED  were carried out in the last 12 months.

 

It is obvious that desexing is a major strategy to reduce over 60,000 healthy, but unwanted, cats and dogs being  killed every year in the pounds and shelters of New South Wales.  Nationally this figure is around 250,000 animals. 

 

The contribution of Hunter Animal Watch to our community was recognised in 2010 when  our President and Treasurer were each presented  with a Newcastle Community Volunteer Award.  They certainly deserved this as they are the mainstay of Hunter Animal Watch.

 

In 2009 the Animals (Regulation of Sale) Bill, proposed by Clover Moore MP, to stop the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops and markets, was not passed in the NSW Parliament.  Such a measure would have closed off a major outlet for animals possibly bred in “puppy farms” or backyards.  But Clover does not give up, and we are supporting her call in the NSW Parliament for a wide-ranging Companion Animal Welfare Inquiry.  If you would like to help Clover with this, please contact your State MP, and ask for his/her support for Clover Moore. She is trying her best to get a better deal for companion animals in New South Wales.

 

Hunter animal watch shop
Our source of funds is our charity shop at 139A Beaumont Street, Hamilton, NSW 2303, which is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 4pm and on Saturdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm.  We have excellent stock for you and your pets as well as a large variety of gift items. Donations of saleable items are always welcome.  We engrave identity disks for pet collars and can microchip your pet.  Just pop in or call us on 49 616133 to arrange microchipping.  And for those with a few spare hours a month and a love of animals, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS for Saturday mornings!  Get in touch on any of the numbers above, or just call in to the shop. 

 

Campaigns we support

Campaigning and lobbying are important features of our work, and on our shop counter are to be found, from time to time, petitions or information on various important animal issues.  As well as our support for banning the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops, a few of these over the past 12 months have been:

·        To ban live exports of sheep and cattle to the Middle East and Indonesia. 

·        A ban on single stalls for breeding sows. 

·        Abolition of battery farms – buy free range.  

·        A ban on exotic animals being used in circuses.

and more!

 

A date for your diary

(please note: To save administration, no separate invitations will be sent.  This is it!)

The Blessing of the Animals service in Christ Church Cathedral is set for 6pm on Sunday, 25th September 2011.  Don’t forget to bring your animals along!

 

Hunter Animal Watch website  www.hunteranimalwatch.com.au

Our email address is                           ocp@idl.com.au

Donations

If you would like to help us with a money donation, please call in or send to: The Treasurer, Hunter Animal Watch Shop, 139A Beaumont Street, Hamilton, 2303. 

Receipts will be supplied so please note your address.

 

Thank You

Once again, many thanks to everyone who helps Hunter Animal Watch – our volunteers, those who give us sale items for the shop, those who make handicraft for us to sell, and, of course, our customers.  And to the vets and their staff, a very special thank you.   

 

With very best wishes,

Hunter Animal Watch Inc.