The initiative is designed to support and invest in local charities that provide much-needed services in regional areas.
Each recipient has been selected by team members at local Dan Murphy’s stores, who recognise the valuable contribution these charity groups make to areas where they live and work.
CARMAR is a charity organisation that helps to responsibly re-home relinquished and surrendered companion animals into loving and suitable forever homes.
Mairin McCubbin, one of the main organisers and a volunteer for CARMAR, said donations such as these were vital in keeping organisations like this going.
“We don’t receive any government grants at all. We are all focused on volunteer and community donations. That’s how we run,” she said.
Currently, the organisation cares for four dogs and over 30 cats and kittens that all need food, vet care and love and attention.
“Vet and food costs are our greatest challenges right now. As well as looking for foster carers, and of course, getting the pets adopted to loving homes,” Ms McCubbin said.
Ms McCubbin said it was great that Dan Murphy’s recognised such a small little rescue service in a regional town.
“This donation will go straight to help our rather large vet bill at our local vet in Lancaster, which does all our desexing, microchipping and vaccinating,” she said.
“By law, we have to do all that before we put our animals up for adoption.”
There are other ways the community can help the charity rather than simply donating money.
Foster caring for an animal while it waits to be adopted is a great way to assist the charity, as well as donating pet products such as pet bedding or grooming products.
You can also sponsor an animal in care for $50, allowing you to name them, and provide for some of their vet and food bills.
The charity also hosts a garage sale for fundraising. In the September school holidays and Easter school holidays, it accepts donations of second-hand goods to then sell for fundraising, but only during the week before the sale due to lack of storage.
A final way to indirectly help the charity is to desex your pets.
“We are constantly receiving phone calls from people who can no longer cope with unexpected litters, as well as reports of found mother cats and kittens and animals being overbred in backyards and puppy farms,” Ms McCubbin said.
“So please, get your animals desexed.”
To see how you could contribute to the charity, contact CARMAR at carmarechuca@yahoo.com or 0447 727 439.
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