Bank enables talk for animals

By Kath Gannaway
STAFF at Victorian Animal Aid Trust in Coldstream are communicating well thanks to a donation from the Wandin Seville Community Bank.
The bank, a branch of Bendigo Bank, presented six Motorola radios to the centre last week.
With every cent earned or donated spent on the thousands of dogs and cats which find their way to the Animal Aid each year, purchasing new radios just never quite made it to the top of a very long wish-list.
The radios, which cost about $2000 each, are not a luxury item. Animal Aid CEO Jo Boland said they will provide added safety and security for staff.
“Because the facility is so spread out staff can be working in quite isolated situations, sometimes alone with dogs and this will be a great boost to day-to-day communication as well as for any emergency which might crop up,” Ms Boland said.
The new radios will also mean an end to the loud speaker which has, up until last week, been the main form of communication.
“It’s horrendously loud and very stressful for both people and animals,” Ms Boland said.
Bank management and directors were taken on a tour of the facility to see first-hand how their support will help in the day-to-day operation of the centre.
Mr Forbes said seven more radios would be handed over by March next year.
“This is an organisation which looks carefully at every possible penny it can earn or gain and we are pleased to do whatever we can to help,” he said.
Mr Forbes and bank chairman Kevin Parker said the bank was 110 per cent behind Animal Aid and pledged further support.
“We are now fully profitable and in a position to return up to 30 per cent back to the community by way of partnerships, grants and sponsorships,” Mr Forbes said.
“Our involvement with Animal Aid is in early days yet.”