Wed, Oct 23, 2024
Pet Refuge is
welcoming Parliament's decision to allow charities to
operate lotteries online permanently.
Temporary
legislation introduced during the Covid-19 response allowed
fundraising lotteries and raffles to be held online until
the end of October 2024, when charities would have had to
return to postal and in-person raffles. But the amendment
bill brought by Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden
and passed in the house today brings the legislation into
the 21st century.
Pet Refuge, which provides shelter
to the pets of people leaving domestic and family violence,
is currently running an online raffle, with the draw closing
the same day the current temporary legislation
expires.
“Online lotteries and raffles are a
fantastic and accessible way for charities to raise money at
a time when the economic climate makes fundraising
challenging” says Pet Refuge CEO and Founder Julie
Chapman, “returning to running them offline would not have
been do-able for small operations like ours, and many other
charitable foundations across the country.”
“We’re
grateful this legislation has been made permanent, because
it means more funds can be raised by community organisations
making a difference across Aotearoa.”
Pet Refuge’s
General Manager Marketing and Business Operations, Erin
Ellis-Roberts, is hopeful that making the legislation
permanent will see processes streamlined and better
protections for both charities and consumers.
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“While
online raffles are easier to run nationwide than post and
in-person, it’s felt like there’s been limited
investment in the space because the legislation was only
temporary.”
“That’s meant there have been limited
options of platforms to host online lotteries and raffles,
and we’ve also encountered inconsistencies about who
collects things like contributions to ‘platform fees' if a
ticket buyer pays for them. That means instead of the money
ending up with the charity, as the buyer might expect, it
may be banked by the web platform.”
Pet Refuge’s
charity raffle has two prizes worth $10,000 each up for
grabs. Tickets cost $10 and people could win $10,000 worth
of Fable Hotel vouchers or a $10,000 Dulux paint x Freedom
Furniture package toward their dream room
makeover.
“Some very generous corporate sponsors
have donated the prizes on offer in our raffle, which means
all the profits from every ticket sold will go directly to
helping pets and their families from across Aotearoa escape
family violence. That includes all costs including vet
treatment, transport, food, enrichment, and training to
ensure each pet has the best opportunity to heal before
being reunited with their beloved humans in safety” says
Julie Chapman.
Pet Refuge is currently operating a
rolling waitlist, with more pets being referred to the
charity as soon as the backlog is cleared.
A $25
monthly donation to Pet Refuge’s Safe Beds for Pets means
the charity can provide everything needed to get a pet to
safety, so their family can begin building their new
life.
To donate visit
petrefuge.org.nz
NOTES
:
Founded by Julie Chapman and open since
2021, Pet Refuge aims to remove a major barrier to pets and
their families escaping domestic violence.
They
work with NZ Police, Women’s Refuge, Shine, Family Action,
and other domestic violence agencies to assist pets via
referrals and self-referrals. We transport pets from around
New Zealand to provide a national service for families
affected by domestic violence.
The location of the
shelter is kept confidential to protect the safety of the
pets, women and children assisted by Pet Refuge.
The
shelter houses dogs, cats, birds, and other small pets and
has been designed to give animals comfort and security.
There are no wire cages, the enclosures have underfloor
heating and are specially designed to give a space to sleep,
play and feel secure.
There are play areas with
climbing structures, an obstacle course, and beds for
lounging in the sun. Since opening, the charity has helped
532 pets and provided 48,734 safe
nights.
Family Violence in New
Zealand
New Zealand has the highest reported
rate of family violence in the OECD. New Zealand also has
the second highest rate of pet ownership globally. Research
has established that where women are at risk, animals are
also at risk. 2018 Women’s Refuge research of women whose
partners had abused or threatened to abuse their pets
found:
22% of their children witness pet
abuse.
23% had an animal killed by their
partner.
53% delayed leaving because of fears for
their pets’ safety.
73% would have found it easier
to leave if there was a shelter offering temporary
accommodation for their
pets.
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