SAPPHIRE Beach locals Ari Herson and Shane Newton have just completed the RSPCA’s Rescue Run fundraiser to support the increasing number of animals rescued from cruelty, neglect and abandonment.

Rescue Run stipulated participants could run, walk or roll 56km for the 56,000 animal cruelty complaints received by the RSPCA nationally each year.

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The distance could be broken down into daily doses or achieved however it suited participants.

Ari Herson donates to a number of charities each year and through this he received information from the RSPCA about the Rescue Run.

“I contacted Shane Newton, a local friend of mine to see if he’d be interested in forming Team Sapphire and doing it together,” Ari told News Of The Area.

Both Ari and Shane are active volunteers for another charity in Coffs Harbour and Shane had previously put his name down to volunteer with the RSPCA.

With Shane on board, the pair contacted people they knew via email, sharing information about Rescue Run and a link to donate as well as posting it on the local community Facebook page.

Speaking with NOTA at the end of October, prior to the end of Rescue Run at the end of the month, Ari said, “To date we’ve raised $2,563.

“Shane and I combined walking and bike riding to complete the 56km over essentially three days.

“These days with the number of charities seeking funds and volunteers it’s difficult determining which ones to support.

“The RSPCA, being a non-profit organisation that attends to roughly 56,000 reports of animal cruelty each year as well as providing shelters and veterinary hospitals for their animals and people seeking assistance for their animals, is in my mind a deserving charity.

“With the number of people who bought animals during Covid that have surrendered them to the RSPCA, the task of care and adoption is becoming a major concern.

“My motivation is to help others both human and animal as far as possible within my time and physical constraints,” said Ari.

The RSPCA NSW Inspectorate performs a crucial role in enforcing state animal cruelty legislation.

Each kilometre achieved represents one thousand cruelty reports investigated by the Inspectorate across the country.

“Our inspectors are out on the road every single day, educating the community on responsible pet ownership and rescuing animals who have experienced cruelty,” said RSPCA NSW Inspector James Arentz.

Every single dollar raised from Rescue Run will make a difference to the lives of the animals who have been rescued from cruelty:

– $35 can provide a kennel, bath, and meals for a neglected dog that has been rescued.

– $55 can help pay for the transport of animals to shelters to increase their chance of being adopted.

– $100 could subsidise the cost of prosecuting a cruelty offender in court.

By Andrea FERRARI