On 16 November, Pets of the Homeless (POTH) will hold its annual gifting day to raise money for people experiencing homelessness and their pets.
The Never Tear Them Apart appeal is an online event, with donations received on the day to be tripled by partners Petspiration Foundation, Sunbites, Scratch and Sunraysia.
Yvonne Hong, Founder and CEO at POTH, said the pandemic and, more recently, the rising cost of living is having a marked effect on Victorian pets and their owners.
“We have seen the need for our services grow exponentially since the pandemic and most recently with the constant rise in the cost of living.
“So many people and pets have been severely impacted by the ongoing events of the past two years, most never imagined they would need our help,” she said.
The Melbourne-based volunteer support service provides pet food, veterinary care, safe shelter and material aid for people experiencing homelessness or severe financial hardship. They also run a pet food bank, the first in Victoria, distributing over 1 million meals for pets in crisis since 2015.
At last year’s gifting event, POTH raised over $200,000 in 24 hours, and they hope to beat that this year with a goal of $250,000.
The money raised will fund another year of helping people and their pets in Melbourne, with the added goal of expanding services to rural Victoria.
To donate visit: https://www.mycause.com.au/events/nevertearthemapart
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