ROYAL NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

For immediate release: 7th May 2008

SPCA Slams Inaccurate Funding Story

----------------

The SPCA is outraged over an inaccurate story circulating in the New Zealand media.

The story wrongly claims that the SPCA receives $5 million each year from Government to help enforce the Animal Welfare Act.

"This story is completely untrue and is based on misreporting," says the Royal New Zealand SPCA's National Chief Executive, Robyn Kippenberger.

"The government has estimated that the services of our inspectorate are worth $5 million a year to the New Zealand taxpayer. But the government does not pay us for these services. Like all other SPCA operations, our inspectorate is financed by generous New Zealanders through donations, bequests and other fundraising.

"The only exception to this rule is the one-off grant of $300,000 that the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Jim Anderton, announced last Saturday to assist our inspectors in coping with the impact of drought conditions on farm animal welfare," she says.

"It would be extremely serious if inaccurate reporting led our supporters to conclude that we had no more need of their funds and stopped donating. As it is, we struggle to provide our services and the big losers would be New Zealand families and the animals they love," Robyn Kippenberger adds.

The inaccurate story has so far appeared on TV One News and Newstalk ZB.

ENDS

© Scoop Media