PREVENTION OF CRUELTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 262, 5 November 1931, Page 8

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY.

S.P.C.A. STREET COLLECTION.

To-morrow the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will hold, for the first time in its history, a street collection. For five years this society lias existed on voluntary contributions alone, but an opportunity is now to be given the public to assist in this humane work, a work that goes on day in and day out for 365 days of the year. There is a constant demand for the services of the inspector, a demand which cannot always satisfactorily be met owing to the extensive territory over which he works, and an assistant inspector is urgently needed. "Owing to the present financial depression it has been suggested that we should forego this privilege of holding a street collection," said the chairman of the committee. "That this argument is unfair is obvious when it is remembered that were it not for thoughtless neglect and deliberate cruelty to animals by human beings, there would be no need for a society such as oure. It is cruelty that we are fighting, and we must face the facts—it is human beings who are the offenders. The citizens of Auckland claim our services as their right, so should they not be given an opportunity to assist the society from which so much is demanded? Our work is often unjustly criticised, because, owing to lack of a steady income, we are understaffed and therefore unable to attend to every call directly it is received. Our service is free and is supported by voluntary subscriptions. We are not subsidised by Government or municipal authority.

"There are hundreds of people who, being unable to join the society as annual subscribers, will be glad of this opportunity to slip a sixpence, or even a few pence, into onr collection box, and it is to these people that we make our appeal. We go with confidence to the public, feeling that they would not wish to be deprived of this splendid opportunity of doing their little bit to help a society which for five years has carried on its humane work —the prevention of cruelty."