Animal lover Riley Valentine from Mitchells Plain is back for his fourth annual Cause Four Paws initiative where he collects and donates dog food and toys to the Animal Welfare Society in Philippi in honour of his birthday.
Riley, a Grade 7 pupil at Seaview Primary School in Mitchells Plain, is the youngest Animal Welfare ambassador, and began volunteering at the AWS at the age of 9.
He celebrates his 13th birthday on 27 September and instead of birthday presents and a party, he is appealing for donations such as dog food, blankets, toys and other doggy essentials for the shelter. You can also donate money which will be used to buy dog food.
“My motivation for this project is to help animals in need. The Animal Welfare Society of SA in Philippi, sees to hundreds of abandoned or neglected animals every year, most of these animals are dogs. The shelter has a lot of pressure with the increasing amount of dogs who need loving homes, so they end up keeping the dogs for a long time before they get adopted,” says Riley.
“I grew up always having a pet. Before my sister Marley was born, I had a dog as a companion, my dog Max was my best friend, I always had a Jack Russel as a best friend. I would love to become a vet one day so I can care for the health and medical needs of animals.”
AWS spokesperson Allan Perrins says they spend about R40K a month on dog food alone and says Riley should be commended for his generosity.
“Every little bit that we get helps and Riley’s contribution helps a lot.”
Riley plans to drop off the goodies at the end of this month so if anyone would like to donate to please WhatsApp 072 220 4255.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za