Challenging year for TEARS

Marilyn Hoole, co-founder and director, The Emma Animal Rescue Society, Sunnydale

The vision of The Emma Animal Rescue Society (TEARS) as a pro-quality of life organisation where we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in the communities that we serve (and in some that we do not even remotely have any direct obligation to) has been severely tested this year.

Expenses and costs have hopelessly exceeded our fund-raising initiatives, revenue from our retail outlets and current donations by our valued and appreciated supporters.

Steps we have taken to ameliorate the situation include substantially reducing our staff complement in excess of 20% – our biggest overhead – continuing our efforts and initiatives to rehome the rescued animals in our care tirelessly, cutting back on our basic care and services to our impoverished communities except where people are able to make a financial contribution towards the services we provide, placing a temporary hold on the free sterilisation and puppy vaccinations offered to the communities that we serve and suspending certain projects until our circumstances allow.

You, however, can help Tears to survive. We need all the support possible, to prevent the untenable situation of closing our doors.

You can play your part in this by setting up a tax-deductible debit order via our website: http://tears.org.za/donate-now/, supporting our retail outlets, adopting an animal and getting friends to adopt by volunteering for one of our many activities or leaving a bequest to Tears in your will

Who can rescue the rescuers? Only you.

For details about how you can help, me at director@tears.org.za or 021 788 6475 or 083 651 6343.