Medivet Clients Reach One Million Donation Milestone in Support of Africa’s Rhinos

Client generosity raises £500,000

Medivet clients have made an incredible one million donations to raise £500,000 for the Medivet Saving The Rhino campaign with Wilderness Foundation Africa.

Shrewsbury vets celebrate

Contributions made in the past four years by kind Medivet clients using Pennies* - the digital charity box within its practices - hit the remarkable £500,000 milestone this week. The millionth donation was made at Medivet 24 Hour Shrewsbury. Medivet clients are offered the opportunity to add 50 pence to their veterinary bill to support the campaign.

The funds raised have played a crucial role in helping to protect the rhino - enabling the Wilderness Foundation Africa** Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative to support these critically endangered species across a wide range of activities. This includes the treatment of poaching attack survivors plus the care and rehabilitation of orphaned baby rhinos. In terms of prevention, thanks to kind Medivet client donations, two cold scent tracker dogs have been deployed – Ella and Ziggy – who work with anti-poaching units, while support has also been provided for intelligence-sharing amongst local law-enforcement agencies. Funds have additionally been deployed to help drive global awareness, provide community services as well as essential field-based veterinary equipment.

We could not be more grateful to our clients for all they have done to help the survival of this iconic species.

Medivet launched its Saving the Rhino campaign in 2015 in partnership with Wilderness Foundation Africa, which is part of a global alliance of charities that aims to protect and connect wilderness, wildlife and people.

Dr John Smithers, Senior Partner and Project Co-ordinator for Medivet Saving the Rhino, said:

We could not be more grateful to our clients for all they have done to help the survival of this iconic species. Their incredible generosity - combined with the support of our colleagues and partners - has made a real difference in the fight against poaching and we want to thank our clients for every donation made.

In South Africa, the Medivet-supported efforts to reduce poaching are co-ordinated by Dr William Fowlds, a former Medivet employee, who added:

This is a truly remarkable milestone and we are overwhelmed by the kindness of Medivet and its clients. The money raised not only helps protect the rhinos but helps bring to justice those responsible for the destruction of these precious and innocent creatures.

Alison Hutchinson, CBE, CEO of Pennies said reaching one million donations was a remarkable achievement:

Pennies is proud to support Medivet’s Saving the Rhino campaign, and it’s been so inspiring to see one million individual micro-donations made through the digital charity box over the past four years. From all at Pennies, thank you and congratulations to the Medivet team and their hugely generous clients for reaching this milestone, for challenging the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa, and proving that small change truly does add up to mean big things.

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*Pennies

Pennies is an award-winning fintech charity (registered no. 1122489) launched in November 2010. It is the digital upgrade of the traditional charity box, designed to fit with our increasingly cashless lifestyles. Anyone can ‘feel-good’ give with participating Pennies retailers – by donating a few pence to charity when paying by card or mobile wallet. It’s as simple as a single press of a button or click of a mouse.

Pennies has enabled an incredible 75 million small change digital donations to date through its digital charity box, raising £19 million in extra income for more than 400 charities, and growing.

Pennies is live across a breadth of 60+ retail, hospitality and service sector leaders, including Domino’s, Boots Opticians, Screwfix, Medivet, Adnams, Hobbycraft, Topps Tiles, Virgin Holidays, Zizzi, The Entertainer, and Rontec and MRH roadside retail outlets. It is now also registered in the Republic of Ireland.

 

**The Wilderness Foundation

The Wilderness Foundation Africa is part of a global alliance (Wilderness Foundation Global) of charities which aims to protect and connect wilderness, wildlife and people. Wilderness Foundation Africa works from its base in South Africa to protect and sustain wildlife and wilderness through integrated conservation and education programmes. Whether it is direct action anti-poaching in the field, large landscape wilderness management, or developing rising young leaders from disadvantaged communities for a career in conservation, the Wilderness Foundation has over 45 years of results. Wilderness Foundation also supports a number of awareness and demand reduction campaigns in South-East Asia.

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