Since May this year, animal welfare organisations around the country have been nominated for the #BravectoCares campaign with thousands of doses of Bravecto® Spot-On sponsored to the winning non-profit organisations (NPOS). The last two months have seen the #BravectoCares campaign focus on feline-dedicated animal shelters with NPOs countrywide gratefully receiving the much-needed Bravecto® treatment.
“The past few months have been incredibly challenging with the non-profit sector particularly hard-hit in terms of sponsorship and support,” explained Carolyn Chelchinskey, Business Unit Manager for Bravecto®. “Annual fundraisers had to be cancelled and many regular donors have been unable to assist. In an effort to ease the budgetary constraints and assist our incredible animal welfare organisations with their ongoing work, we launched the #BravectoCares campaign. With the support of local communities, we’ve been able to assist in providing life-changing tick and flea protection for the many cats and dogs in their care.”
In total, 30 258 doses of Bravecto® Spot-On worth R9 440 496 was sponsored to 8 323 cats and 21 935 dogs throughout the #BravectoCares campaign. The first phase sponsored treatment to primarily canine-focused animal welfare organisations around South Africa.
The second phase of the #BravectoCares campaign called for communities to nominate and vote for deserving cat welfare organisations through the ‘Bravecto South Africa’ Facebook page. The finalists were announced on Facebook, and supporters then voted for the winner through comments on the post. Each finalist was awarded 1 200 doses of Bravecto® Spot-On with bonus doses awarded to several nominees.
Recipients of the feline-focused #BravectoCares campaign included:
- Harties Feral Cat Rescue in Hartbeespoort, Gauteng (www.hartiesferalcats.co.za) – 1 200 doses;
- Feeding the Furballs in Durban, KZN (www.feedingthefurballs.org) – 400 doses (additional 200 sponsored by Cat Family Foundation);
- CO-SANC in Randburg, Gauteng (www.catshelter.co.za) – 400 doses;
- Cat Family Foundation AKA CatFam in Randburg, Gauteng (www.catfamilyfoundation.co.za) – 1 200 doses;
- Howlelujah Foundation in Green Point, Western Cape (www.howlelujahfoundation.org) – 1 200 doses;
- Cat Trapping in the Winelands, Western Cape (Facebook page ‘Cat Trapping in the Winelands’) – 300 doses;
- Foster Love Animal Rescue in Tokai, Western Cape (Facebook page ‘Foster Love Animal Rescue’) – 1 200 doses; and
- Raise ‘n Rescue in Bellville, Western Cape (www.raisenrescue.org.za) – 361 doses.
The importance of pest control in animal welfare
Many don’t realise that tick and flea protection is an important basic care item for animals. Ticks and fleas are not only a cause for discomfort as many pest species carry pathogens that cause disease. Without treatment, a single-animal problem can quickly lead to a shelter-wide infection which is incredibly difficult to eradicate. For NPOs, funds often have to be directed to food, vaccinations and sterilisations which is why a campaign such as #BravectoCares is so important.
How Bravecto® breaks the cycle
It can take up to 10 weeks for a flea egg to develop into an adult. This means that monthly products administered for pest control will not stop the life cycle with a single dose. After four weeks, new fleas simply continue to hatch. Bravecto® is able to stop the life cycle in one dose and kill fleas before they can produce fertile eggs. Bravecto® Chew protects dogs for 12 weeks against ticks, fleas and treats mites while Bravecto® Spot-On for Dogs provides effective protection of four months against ticks, and six months against fleas. Bravecto® Spot-On for Cats protects against ticks, fleas and ear mites for three months and Bravecto® Plus protects cats for three months against ticks, fleas and heartworm and it treats intestinal worms and ear mites. It’s a convenient and affordable method for treating parasites, providing this extended protection through just a single dose.
For more information about #BravectoCares or the Bravecto® range, visit www.bravecto.co.za or @Bravecto.SouthAfrica on Facebook.
