Big-hearted Wick company congratulated for sponsoring seal pup
Caithness Seal Rehab and Release (CSRR) sent out a big thank you to Jack's Flooring in Wick for sponsoring one of the seal pups in its care.
The animal charity which rescues and nurses sick and stranded seals around the Caithness coast says it is the first sponsorship deal it has undertaken and hopes that more may follow.
The charity relies on donations from the public as it needs tons of fish to keep the seals healthy until they can be safely released back into the seas around the far north coastline. Husband and wife team Clare and Phil Boardman are behind the charity project and have around nine volunteers helping them.
Graeme Bain from Jack's Flooring said: "It was a pleasure working and meeting Phil and his team. Hopefully more businesses might do the same."
Phil from CSRR thanked Jack's Flooring for sponsoring its first seal, a pup called Jan.
He added: "Jacks Flooring has dug us out of a hole twice this year to come and prepare and lay our new flooring after we’d been let down by other contractors. They are absolute superstars.
"Thank you Graeme Bain and Jack's Flooring for your fantastic, invaluable support."
The charity needs extra funds to help feed the seals and the public can help by sending donations. "The thing that costs us the most is the fish – mackerel," said Clare.
"We don't get any donated and have to buy it and since we had the common seals in we've gone through about five or six tons of fish. It's just under £1000 a ton, so it's not exactly cheap. The best way people can support us would be donations for fish. If they can't do that then there's an Amazon Wish List."
Clare says the seals often come in malnourished, dehydrated, underweight and even showing wounds from dog bites. "We've had quite a few come in this year with pneumonia and hypothermia. The common seals that we had in last summer were there due to human interference." She said that people flying drones low over seal colonies is becoming a serious issue as well as it frightens the animals and "can cause mayhem".
CSSR is the only seal sanctuary in Caithness. The other closest one is over 190 miles away on the mainland or a ferry trip to Orkney, which would make for a long and stressful trip for a young seal pup.
Website with more info: caithness-seal-rehab-release.co.uk
Facebook page: Caithness Seal Rehab & Release
Telephone: 01847 851 927
Email: sealrehabrelease2022@hotmail.com
Caithness Seal Rehab and Release address: Windhaven, Brough, Caithness, KW14 8YE
