A CHRISTMAS shoebox appeal hosted by vets saw more than £1,000 worth of gifts donated for homeless cats and dogs.
Thanks to the gifts from staff and customers, Avonvale Veterinary Centres were able to hand over more than 100 shoeboxes full of treats to county charities Pawprints Dog Rescue Centre, Avon Cat Rescue and Mid Warwickshire Cats Protection.
Kenilworth retiree Michelle West expressed her gratitude to Avonvale by leading the appeal after the death of her dog, as a thank you for the way the practice handled her loss.
Michelle collected 108 shoeboxes from local shoe shops, decorated them and filled them with cat and dog treats, and fellow animal lovers soon followed her lead, donating more than 40 boxes full of toys and food.
Rosemary Spicer, a volunteer at Avon Cat Rescue, said: “We have more than 60 cats at the moment, some who will be here permanently due to age or poor health, while others are waiting for a new home.
“We are so grateful for the generosity of caring people at Christmas and to Avonvale for hosting the shoe box appeal.
“We received six shoe boxes packed with goodies and another large box containing food, treats and toys for our cats on Christmas day.”
Off the back of the appeal, Avonvale will continue to collect gifts for the rescue centres and are welcoming donations.
Anyone wishing to support the appeal can purchase items from Avonvale who will make up a box on their behalf; drop items at any of Avonvale’s surgeries at Leamington, Warwick, Wellesbourne, Kenilworth, Stratford and Southam, or drop off a filled shoebox of gifts at one of the surgeries.
Kate Webb, practice manager at Avonvale, said: “We are very grateful to everyone who donated gifts to help support our local rescue centres, which work extremely hard to provide for these animals.
“All the donations will help feed and care for homeless cats and dogs and, although this was an appeal for Christmas, we’re happy to pass on donations to the charities any time of year.”
Visit www.avonvets.co.uk for further details.
For more information about Avon Cat Rescue, visit http://avoncatrescue.org, for Pawprints Dog Rescue, visit www.pawprintsdogrescue.org and for Mid Warwickshire Cat Protection, visit https://midwarwick.cats.org.uk.
