Sponsership

[den]

During a discussion with some of the other members of the local WIRES branch, someone suggested we look for sponsership of various animals. Since we're volunteers we don't get any funding: all our care work is self funded. Bats are easy so I'm not looking for money, but Kangaroos, euros, and wallabies can be in care for 6 months. One of the members has 25 joeys, 1 kestrel chick, 2 herons, 3 falcons and an eagle.

So, if you had a chance would you sponser an animal? WIRES is a registered charity so Aussies get a tax refund. Sponsers would get a photos of the animal/bird, and emailed updates. And the thanks of some tired people 8)

The money would go toward food, vet bills, bedding, transport for THAT animal only.

[Poll #81930]

Comments

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Three questions, really, rather than answers:

First, would you be set up to accept donations from outside Australia, and if so, how?

Second, would you consider an option, like with the child sponsorship programs, of "whoever needs support the most right now"? Because I'd be hard pressed to decide among all the options. I mean, sponsoring an echidna would be cool, 'cause they're just weird, but then, so would a bearded dragon. Baby animals are cute, but then so are nocturnal marsupials like the antechinus (I assume the description I found at http://www.ozramp.net.au/~senani/antechin.htm is missing either a decimal point or a zero -- something shouldn't be 121 cm and only weigh 50 g).

Third, platypus?

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

1- We're considering something like Paypal.

2- "Right now" is a bit difficult. Right now, 39 kangaroos and wallabies are being cared for by 3 people. Thses are mosty juvenile roos almost ready for release that still need hay, there are some very young joeys (red and grey roos, red-necked wallabyes, 2 wallaroos and a swamp wallaby) all still in the pouch requiring 3 hourly feeds and care (1 joey is so young she's only just got her fur. Say awww. She will need up to 6 months of care.) Reptiles don't need a lot of care, but they need meal worms for beardies), fresh fruit and veggies (for blue-tongues), and they they do have vet bills, and... um... so does their food. We don't feed snakes live food, of course, but the rats and mice have to be kept healthy. (I've helped train an owl to hunt by tying a peice of cotton to a dead mouse and making it do little moves in some grass.) Eagles and other raptors are really intensive to care for.

(antechinus are 12.1 cm, not 121. When the males mature they bonk themselves to death do that by late autumn they're all dead, and the population consists entirely of pregnant females.)

3- Platypus are all taken to the zoo. They are so difficult to care for we can't do it.