Gozo SPCA's record Flag Week

The Gozo SPCA is delighted that we have once again established a new record for the sum of money collected during our Flag Week from July 13 to 19. The final boxes and donations have now been counted and the grand total was Lm3,151, compared with Lm2,987 last year.

We are extremely grateful to Gozo Channel for once again giving Gozo SPCA permission for our volunteers to make collections on the ferries during that week, and it is from this source that over three-quarters of the monies is collected.

We would like to thank all those generous people both on the ferries and elsewhere in Gozo, for their kindness and support, and for contributing, very often more than once during the week, to this most important cause. In addition to the collections this year, we also held a bazaar in a shop in It-Tokk for the week; this also was well supported.

Gozo SPCA has been actively involved in the caring for rescued and abandoned animals in Gozo for over 25 years, all the work for caring for the animals as well as the raising of funds, being undertaken by volunteers except for one employee who is seconded from the Ministry for Gozo. As well as treatment for sick and injured animals, the society carries out a neutering and spaying programme for stray dogs and feral cat populations, runs an ongoing re-homing project from the Gozo SPCA Centre in Victoria, and works closely with local schools to encourage a better awareness of animal care.

Every year our costs increase and especially this year we are expecting approximately a 35 per cent increase in expenditure so it will be appreciated that our Flag Week is such an important part in our fund-raising activities. We desperately need to move from our cramped premises as well as to replace our exhausted rescue van.

So to all the fantastically generous people of Malta and Gozo, as well as to visitors from abroad, may I please extend our most sincere thanks for their tremendous support. For more information about our activities visit www.spca-gozo.org