Strays have their day

Buskett gardens will be buzzing with street entertainers, face painters, market stalls, raffles and live bands during a festival in aid of stray animals tomorrow.

Food and drink stalls will be open all day for the Yelp For Help Furrrballs Festival, which will also screen documentaries and films and organise games for children.

Twelve local animal welfare and conservation organisations including the Animal Rights Group, BirdLife Malta and the Island Sanctuary will be chipping in to the event. Chasing Pandora, Gianni and Filletti Unplugged and Bitterside will be among the performers on the day.

Set up in September 2004, Yelp for Help is a non-profit making voluntary organisation whose aim is to organise events through which funds are raised and allocated towards the neutering of stray cats and dogs.

Yelp's events are not only geared to raise funds but also aim at raising awareness on stray population management, homing the homeless and pet care.

Yelp for Help is one of three local fund-raising organisations geared towards supporting animal welfare. All three organisations work closely and have managed to alleviate a fraction of the pressures that animal sanctuaries and stray colony carers face on a daily basis. The costs of neutering, feeding, surgery, inoculations and medication are enormous and require ongoing support.

Yelp for Help organises one large fun-raising event every year. Local sanctuaries and carers are invited to participate to promote their own organisations and campaigns. For Lm1 donations, send a text message to 5061 7362.