Happy Tails Day FAQs & handbook
What is Happy Tails Day? Happy Tails Day is a national fundraising event for the RSPCA and is being celebrated for the fifth year. If you have a pet or just love animals then Friday 7 October is the pawfect time to show your love for all creatures great and small. Simply purchase merchandise from the exclusive Happy Tails Day range during September and October. You can also support the RSPCA by selling merchandise in your workplace or community. We are excited to announce a new range of merchandise for 2011 including plush toys, lapel pins, charm bracelets, key rings and pens. All money raised from Happy Tails Day helps the RSPCA care for animals just like Harry, Charlie, Shine and Kitty, all of which inspired the plush toys you can take home. This year we have also introduced Petunia from a pig farm Approved by the RSPCA. When is Happy Tails Day? Friday 7 October 2011 Why is it being held? The main purpose of Happy Tails Day is to raise much-needed funds to support the RSPCA s work in caring for and protecting Australia s animals. Each year in Australia the RSPCA cares for around 150,000 stray, injured and surrendered animals and investigates around 50,000 complaints of animal cruelty and neglect. As less than 3% of the RSPCA s national funding is from governments, this level of animal care would not be possible without the support of the community. We appreciate all the donations we receive, but an event like Happy Tails Day serves an even greater purpose. In addition to raising money to help all creatures great and small, we hope Happy Tails Day will encourage more people to become involved with the RSPCA, to learn more about our work and about the important animal welfare issues we deal with. How can I help? Supporting Happy Tails Day is easy. Either volunteer to help us sell merchandise by completing the online order form or purchase Happy Tails Day merchandise from the RSPCA s Online Shop, your local RSPCA or visit one of our retail partners. You might also like to hold a fundraising event and donate the proceeds to the RSPCA.
2011 Merchandise
Selling merchandise This year s Happy Tails Day merchandise box includes: 15 x plush toys, 12 x pens, 10 x silver lapel pins, 8 x bone keyrings, 6 x diamante lapel pins and 4 x charm bracelets. A plush only box is also available including 20 x plush toys. Happy Tails Day merchandise can be ordered prepaid or the payment can be deferred. If you choose the prepaid option you will help us care for even more animals. Simply display the merchandise box and poster provided and sell what you can during September and October, then return any unsold merchandise and money raised to the RSPCA. Stock will be delivered at the start of September. How do I order merchandise? Visit www.happytailsday.com.au and complete the online order form. If you would prefer to order by phone or email contact RSPCA Australia. How long will it take to receive my order? Merchandise orders will be delivered at the start of September. If you order during September we will get your order out as soon as possible. Merchandise orders are generally fulfilled and received within 3-5 business days. I ve received my merchandise what do I do now? You can start selling your merchandise as soon as you receive it. While the official date of Happy Tails Day is Friday 7 October, merchandise is sold during all of September and October. I m running out of merchandise, can I order more? Yes, contact RSPCA Australia to order another box or extra merchandise to top up your box. How do I return the funds I have raised? Funds can be returned to the RSPCA by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or cheque. Please complete the Banking Form sent with your merchandise box and return it to RSPCA Australia along with a cheque or EFT receipt slip. Post: RSPCA Australia, Happy Tails Day, PO Box 265, Deakin West ACT 2600 Fax: 02 6282 8311 Email: happytailsday@rspca.org.au Completed forms and payments should be returned by 30 November 2011. What do I do with unsold merchandise? Happy Tails Day merchandise should be returned with a completed Stock Return Form to: RSPCA Retail Operations, 592 Tarragindi Rd, Salisbury QLD 4107 Unsold stock should be returned by 30 November 2011. Please note: postage costs can be taken from the money raised. Contact: RSPCA Australia Phone (02) 6282 8300 Email happytailsday@rspca.org.au
Buy merchandise This year s range has something for everyone and by purchasing Happy Tails Day merchandise you ll be helping to raise much needed funds for the RSPCA. To get your paws on the latest Happy Tails Day merchandise be sure to check out the RSPCA Australia Online Shop, visit your local RSPCA or one of our retail partners: Big W, Hill s Vets, Bendigo Bank and newsxpress. RSPCA Australia would like to thank our retail partners as well as our distribution partner Border Express. Organise a fundraising event Celebrate Happy Tails Day with a fundraising event at your school, work or in your community. Events are not only a great way to bring family, friends and communities together, but they are fantastic way to generate some much needed funds for the RSPCA. For example, you might like to organise a picnic, casual day or morning tea on Friday 7 October, to have fun and show your love of animals and the RSPCA. Maybe you can organise a dog walk in the park with friends? Bring your pets or their photographs into the office or school for show and tell! After the event contact RSPCA Australia to arrange for the funds raised to be returned to the RSPCA. And remember to take lots of photos that you can send to us here at the RSPCA we d love to see what you ve done! Email photos to happytailsday@rspca.org.au or post on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rspcaaustralia.
Spread the word Remember to let everyone know about Happy Tails Day. There are so many ways to communicate these days including tweeting and posting on facebook, so help us spread the word about this great event and the work of the RSPCA. If you can include a banner or article about Happy Tails Day on your website or in a school, workplace or community newsletter, let us know. We can provide any artwork you need. We can also provide you with inspirational stories to help motivate your family, friends and colleagues to participate, along with some adorable photographs of real-life rescue animals. Each merchandise box comes with a poster but we have a number of extra Happy Tails Day posters to give away. So, if you can put up posters at your school, workplace or in your community, contact us to make an order. Contact: RSPCA Australia Phone (02) 6282 8300 Email happytailsday@rspca.org.au Pet Nutrition What s next! Keep and eye on the RSPCA website to find out the latest information on Happy Tails Day. Don t forget to have fun on Friday 7 October 2011 and get behind a great cause! We really value your contribution, no matter how great or small. Any questions? If you have any questions regarding Happy Tails Day please contact RSPCA Australia. Phone (02) 6282 8300 Email happytailsday@rspca.org.au
Our 2011 heroes Charlie Charlie was found wandering the streets and was taken straight to the RSPCA in Toowoomba for some much needed care. 16 years later and the once timid and neglected pup is now a confident and affectionate old dog who lights up every room he trots into. Harry A thin, timid dog with badly flyblown ears was brought to the RSPCA by a caring member of the public who found him wandering the streets. With a lot of TLC Harry emerged from his ordeal with a new lease on life and can now overcome just about anything that life throws at him. Kitty Kitty and her littermates were found abandoned, thrown out like a bag of rubbish. Fortunately, Kitty and her siblings ended up at the RSPCA where they were properly cared for and put up for adoption. That was 17 years ago and today this old girl continues to live in the lap of luxury preferably her owner s lap. Petunia Petunia is from a pig farm which has been Approved by the RSPCA. The production system on an RSPCA Approved farm caters for the behavioural and physical needs of the animals. All pigs are reared, handled and transported with consideration and care. Shine Shine arrived at the RSPCA as a stray and while she struggled with the stresses of the shelter environment, she also blossomed in the affection lavished on her by staff and volunteers who took as much pleasure in her company as she did in theirs. A few months on and Shine and her new owner couldn t be happier.
About the RSPCA The RSPCA is Australia s leading animal welfare charity working to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection. The RSPCA relies on community support to provide care for animals in need. Donations from the community make up nearly all of our national funding and our volunteers are vital members of the RSPCA team, far outnumbering our paid staff. Inspectors Across Australia RSPCA employs more than 80 Inspectors. Enforcing the existing animal protection laws is one of the main ways in which the RSPCA is able to protect animals from cruelty and neglect. Each year RSPCA Inspectors investigate more than 50,000 cases of animal cruelty. RSPCA Inspectors across Australia have also rescued literally thousands of animals from dangerous situations, often putting themselves at personal risk. Shelters Across Australia, RSPCA Shelters care for more than 150,000 animals each year including unwanted, stray and injured animals. Across Australia, the RSPCA has over 40 Shelters and Adoption Centres. Each Shelter provides the necessary care and attention animals need and where possible these animals are given a second chance through our adoption program. While the majority of animals entering the RSPCA s care are cats and dogs, RSPCA Shelters also care for all kinds of animals from sheep and goats to poultry, horses, cattle, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. If you are interested in adopting an animal from the RSPCA, you can begin your search from the convenience of your own home visit www.adoptapet.com.au to view photos and details of animals awaiting adoption in RSPCA shelters.
Vets Before being offered for adoption, RSPCA pets are checked by a veterinarian and temperament tested so we know how to find the very best home for them. Pets from the RSPCA are also desexed, vaccinated, wormed and microchipped. Education Education is vital if we are to have some hope of improving the treatment of animals in Australia. Community education is an important aspect of the RSPCA s work. Each year the RSPCA visits hundreds of schools and community groups. The RSPCA also educates the community by running national campaigns to raise public awareness about important animal welfare issues and to keep the pressure on the people who have the power to change them. Policies and Science RSPCA policies are ground firmly in animal welfare science. Opinions and guidance are constantly being sought from RSPCA Australia by governments and decision makers on a whole range of animal welfare issues. Events Australia s premier pet event is the RSPCA s Million Paws Walk. The RSPCA holds many events throughout the year to raise money and awareness of the RSPCA s work including Cupcake Day and Happy Tails Day. For more information about the RSPCA or to donate visit www.rspca.org.au.
RSPCA Australia PO Box 265 Deakin West ACT 2600 P 02 6282 8300 F 02 6282 8311 E happytailsday@rspca.org.au W rspca.org.au