South East Local Land Services are encouraging pet owners affected by the Tathra fires to take advantage of the surplus of animal supplies that has been donated to them.
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Bags of dog food and cans of cat food – alongside an impressive array of pet accessories – are piling up in the LLS office in Bega.
After a second round of deliveries on Wednesday, March 28, the donations are now overflowing into their depot on Auckland Street.
A majority of the donations have come to town from further north up the coast, from places including Conjola, Ulladulla and Batemans Bay.
They are in addition to a delivery from RSPCA Shoalhaven a week earlier that saw a van packed with donated pet food, bedding, shampoo and accessories pull up in Bega.
Oter supplies include pet jackets, a variety of toys, chicken feed, hay and even hammocks designed for cats.
South East LLS district veterinarian Helen Schaefer said the donations showed how important pets are to people.
“This is a really good opportunity to spoil your pets after the fire, come and pick up a new toy for them, bring the kids down and let them choose a nice new collar or lead, it’s a great excuse to treat them with something you wouldn’t usually buy,” she said.
“There are lots of lovely new things here to help people make a fresh start, we really want the people of Tathra to know this is for them and their pets, we want you to use these supplies.
“It's not charity, it's friends helping out friends.”
LLS staff registered about 60 dogs and 35 cats during the fire, as well as a handful of rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens and other pet birds.
They are one of the services available through the recovery centre established at the Bega Valley Civic Centre and will continue to provide animal care and advice to Tathra residents.
Alison Nye of Petstock Ulladulla arranged for store suppliers to donate extra pet goods following the Tathra fires.
“People get so much tranquility and comfort from their pets, which is exactly what you need after a traumatic event, so it only makes sense for us to cater to these creatures,” she said.
“I knew that there wasn’t a large store like ours down here near Tathra, so I asked my manager if I could step in and it all just snowballed from there.”
Margaret Show and Ray Joyce of the Sapphire Coast RSPCA and Wayne and Colleen Lasker of Conjola also collected donations for Tathra pets.
Tathra pet owners should visit the South East LLS office on the Sapphire Marketplace rooftop in Bega between 8:30am and 4:30pm to pick up any supplies they need.
