Animals and animal-lovers win big in the Bravecto® Feed the Furry Nation competition

At a time when finances were limited and animal shelters overwhelmed, Bravecto® ran the Feed the Furry Nation competition, providing food to animal shelters countrywide – and big prizes for its loyal supporters. On Thursday, 2 July at 11am, the Bravecto® team handed over the first-place prize of R25 000 to Richard Marr, as well as a brand-new Nissan NP200 Bakkie and stash of Bravecto® to Richard’s nominated shelter and event host, AACL (Animal Anti-Cruelty League) Ladysmith.

“We created the Feed the Furry Nation campaign as a way for our loyal Bravecto® users to support welfare organisations that do an amazing job of assisting our less fortunate furry friends,” explained Dr Carolyn Chelchinskey, MSD Animal Health’s Business Unit Manager/ Companion Animals. “This was planned before the emergence of Covid-19, but the campaign became even more important during lockdown, when welfare organisations lost most of their funding and demand increased. It was heart-warming for the Bravecto® brand to be able to help in this desperate time, and we would like to thank the vets, veterinary support staff and pet owners that supported this campaign and helped us make it a success.”

The competition, which ran from 1 February 2020 until the extended date of 15 May 2020, consisted of several generous elements. The first saw a percentage of all Bravecto® sales donated in food to eight shelters across South Africa, totalling more than half-a-million rand’s worth of food, weighing in at 23 068kgs in total. Every second week, Bravecto® distributed the food donations to the animal shelters, which included:

· AACL (Animal Anti-Cruelty League) in Cape Town
· Cape of Good Hope SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
· Durban & Coast SPCA
· CLAW (Community-Led Animal Welfare)
· FORA (Friends of Rescued Animals)
· Funda Nenja (Learning with the Dog)
· PDSA (The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals), Soweto
· Windhoek SPCA

The unprecedented pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures prompted the team from Bravecto® to expand the food offerings, with the following animal shelters receiving donations worth R4 000 each:

· Feral Cat Assistance Garden Route
· New Beginnings Bloemfontein
· Oudtshoorn Dogs in Need
· Soweto Animal Rescue & Advisory Centre

The second part of the contest gave loyal Bravecto® customers the chance to win big – all they had to do was fill in an entry form at their vet outlet or enter online, submitting a photo of their invoice. The first, second and third-place winners won a share of R40 000 cash, with first place also nominating an animal shelter to receive a Nissan NP200 bakkie and stash of Bravecto®. The winners were:

1st place: Richard Marr (R25 000)
2nd place: Karen Dormehl (R10 000)
3rd place: Sharleena Devraj (R5 000)

Commenting on his big win, Ladysmith resident and owner of three beloved pups, Richard Marr, said: “I was completely taken aback when I received the news that I had won. I am so grateful to Bravecto® for this prize; it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Christina Mazibuko, who works for me, had her house in Peacetown seriously damaged during a storm last year, so I will use some of the money to assist her with much needed repairs, and will use the rest to finish off some projects around my house.”

He said that Bravecto® had been a ‘game changer’ for his dogs, Busta, Layla and Snoop: “They are incredibly active and love running into long grass and chasing creatures when out on a run. This inevitably results in hours of de-fleaing and tick hunting after adventures, and is also a major risk with the sickness they carry. Bravecto® was recommended to me by my mother, and I have not looked back. One treatment every 3 to 4 months and all my worries about the complications that can come from tick and flea bites have vanished.”

Having adopted two of his pups from rescue shelters, he wanted to continue his support for organisations that care for neglected animals. This is why he nominated AACL Ladysmith for the prized Nissan bakkie and Bravecto®. AACL Ladysmith has been providing shelter for stray and abused domestic animals for 30 years, investigating and attending to cases of abuse and cruelty.

Commenting on the donation, Frank Ackerman, AACL Ladysmith Kennel Manager, said: “We were unaware of the Bravecto® competition so it came as an absolute surprise when I was told we had won the bakkie. What a blessing to know that we can continue to provide our services in the Ladysmith district with a new, reliable vehicle. Our sincere thanks to Bravecto®, all who participated in the competition and, of course, to Richard Marr for nominating us.”

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