June 23, 2015
The foster dogs being housed at the Kingaroy RSPCA will soon have their own special play area, thanks to fundraising by RSPCA supporters and the generous help of Boehringer Ingelheim.
Every year the global company, which grows and processes duboisia in the South Burnett, adopts a project to help the local community.
Last year the company’s staff replaced the outdoor decking at SB Care’s senior citizens centre in Kingaroy, and helped landscape the grounds of SB Care’s residential units.
This year the Kingaroy RSPCA was the lucky recipient.
“Boehringer Ingelheim approached us and we were surprised and very delighted,” manager Sally Charles said.
“They brought along 38 people today and are doing a whole heap of stuff, all at the same time.”
The main target of the Boehringer Ingelheim working bee was the RSPCA’s new “play group yard”.
The yard allows the RSPCA handlers to take out 10 or 12 dogs at a time for socialisation with other dogs.
“It gives them things to do, for physical and mental enrichment,” Sally said.
“It’s been a dream of ours for ages.”
The play area includes a tunnel, see-saw, ramp, jumps and weave poles – basically an agility course for the dogs.
Also under construction are two sand-pits and two “time out” yards for “naughty” dogs.
The Boehringer Ingelheim team also constructed several garden beds around the RSPCA complex, planting flowers and bushes, and laying mulching.
They also took to the paint brushes, painting a couple of walls.
Boehringer Ingelheim head of duboisia plantations Des Crane said the 38 workers included two people from their Sydney office as well as five from the company’s Animal and Health Team. The rest were all local employees.
The working bee has complemented other renovations being carried out at the shelter at the moment.
- External link: More Photographs (Kingaroy RSPCA’s Facebook page)
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South Burnett residents interested in checking out the changes at the shelter in Kingaroy should pop out this weekend as there is “a 25 per cent off everything” sale on June 27-28.
The RSPCA promotion covers the whole of Queensland:
“All our care centres are full and we now have over 1000 animals in our care throughout the State,” RSPCA Qld spokesperson Michael Beatty said.
“To be honest things are getting a bit desperate and we need to rehome as many animals as possible and generate some funds. Hopefully this promotion will do both.”
There will be a sausage sizzle and bake sales, and staff and volunteers have been encouraged to wear red.
“We want it to be a fun weekend where you can find a bargain and hopefully a loving new family member as well. “
