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Over £3000 charity cheque for Caithness Cats Protection at Wick pet shop – Bean the chihuahua voted ‘cat for a day’ for publicity pics





Caithness cats will benefit thanks to the fundraising efforts of a charity that has raised over £3000 to help the county’s felines.

Cats Protection Caithness (CPC) branch was handed a cheque for £3080.21 at Wick’s Pets at Home store thanks to the generosity of local people who had donated at special pop-up tables the charity hosted at the store over the last few months.

From left, Cats protection volunteer Gail Ross with Bean the chihuahua, Kirsteen MacKenzie from Pets at Home, Andy Milne from the cat charity group and Joan Campbell who heads up the local Cats Protection fundraising team. Since no cats were present Bean was an 'honorary cat for the day'. Picture: DGS
From left, Cats protection volunteer Gail Ross with Bean the chihuahua, Kirsteen MacKenzie from Pets at Home, Andy Milne from the cat charity group and Joan Campbell who heads up the local Cats Protection fundraising team. Since no cats were present Bean was an 'honorary cat for the day'. Picture: DGS

On Sunday, January 26, CPC fundraising project leader Joan Campbell was joined by fellow volunteers Gail Ross, and Andrew Milne at the popular Wick pet shop and Kirsteen MacKenzie from Pets at Home had the honour of presenting the charity cheque. With no cats present on the day, Bean the chihuahua was voted as ‘honorary cat for a day’ to appear in the publicity photographs.

Joan said: “We do a lot of fundraising in Pets at Home and this [cheque] comes from the Pets Foundation. We were raising funds for animals in the month leading up to Christmas and it’s called Santa Paws.

“The staff in Pets at Home helped us raise the amount and Pets Foundation spread it out but we always get 50 per cent back of what’s made during that time.”

The Cats Protection volunteers also sent out a vote of thanks to Pets at Home for allowing the charity to host its pop-up tables in the shop. Picture: DGS
The Cats Protection volunteers also sent out a vote of thanks to Pets at Home for allowing the charity to host its pop-up tables in the shop. Picture: DGS

She explained that the cheque amount would stay locally to help the charity in its work. Gail added: “I just want to thank everybody who supported us during this campaign. We do a lot of fundraising and are always astounded at the generosity of the people who come in to see us.

“We get gifts to raffle and hampers and people always have a little bit of extra cash to spare for cats locally and we are extremely grateful.”

Andrew Milne said that CPC is always looking for more volunteers: “We do this mostly at weekends and if anyone has an hour or two to spare they can always come in and join us and help raise more money for cats in Caithness and Sutherland as well.”

Joan added a special vote of thanks to Pets at Home for its support along with the John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier for highlighting the charity’s work.

Gail urged people to check the CPC Facebook page for updates as well.

Caithness Cats Protection volunteers outside Pets at Home shop in Wick. Picture: DGS
Caithness Cats Protection volunteers outside Pets at Home shop in Wick. Picture: DGS

Cats Protection is always looking for volunteers so if you are interested please contact the charity at www.cats.org.uk/caithness or telephone 0345 371 4217 for more information.

The charity can also help if you wish to give a cat a new home.


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