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.

“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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