200+ gold medallions for SPCA’s unsung heroes

200+ gold medallions for SPCA’s unsung heroes

Special gold medallions honouring the Queen’s 60th Jubilee will be awarded to more than 200 SPCA Auckland volunteers at the annual Blessing of the Animals Service on Sunday 14 October.

“These unique medals are our way of paying tribute to our Auckland volunteers and thanking them for their invaluable help without which SPCA Auckland could not function,” says Bob Kerridge, Executive Director, SPCA Auckland.

The medals are part of a strictly limited production run of 1000 being presented to SPCA volunteers throughout New Zealand. The medals feature the Queen’s official Diamond Jubilee New Zealand emblem on one side and the Royal New Zealand SPCA logo with the words “For Meritorious Volunteer Service” punctuated by paw prints on the other.

“We are absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to have the opportunity to recognise a selection of our fabulous volunteers in this way,” says Mr Kerridge.

“These volunteers include collectors, dog walkers, animals village helpers, animal foster homes, outreach therapy pet volunteers, stray cat carers and a number of professional people who voluntarily donate their expertise and particular talents to the Society.

“SPCA Auckland is generously supported by about 800 volunteers and 400 foster families at any one time. They are the unsung heroes of the SPCA.

“I believe New Zealanders are generous by nature – a notion borne out by the fact that we always rate highly in global surveys of participation in charitable activities and volunteer work. I echo the Queen’s words in her Jubilee address to Parliament when she said she hoped to celebrate the voluntary service of people working for the public good and yet ‘often unseen and overlooked.’

“The presentation of these medals is our small way of acknowledging the debt we owe to all volunteers, a special group of people who so richly endow our society.

“Although we were limited in the number of our volunteers we could honour during the annual Blessing of the Animals Service, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our wider community of volunteers for the selfless work they do every day to help protect and preserve all of Auckland’s animals.”

ENDS

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