It’s tough business keeping hot dogs cool.
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Just ask the hard-working crew at Hunter RSPCA at Rutherford.
With a near full house after a busy Christmas and New Year period, staff have been working hard to keep all critters in their care cool and comfortable as temperatures around Maitland soar into the 40s.
Their cause was helped over the weekend with a ute-load of ice donated by Club Maitland City.
Meleah McInnes, operations and finance manager at Maitland City, said the spur of the moment donation came after the club’s ice machines were cleaned out on Saturday.
Rather than letting the excess ice melt away in the gutter, a quick call to the Rutherford RSPCA shelter was made.
“It was one of those happy circumstances where we had all this spare ice and they had a need for it,” Ms McInnes explained.
“We’re passionate about our community and being able to help out. And our guys enjoyed being able to go out and play with the pups.”
Rutherford RSPCA team leader Becca Thomas said the gesture was greatly appreciated by the shelter’s inhabitants.
“They absolutely loved (the ice). They’ve loved swimming in it, eating the ice blocks and rolling around in it in their kennels,” she said.
Maitland City’s generous donation wasn’t the only one the RSPCA were fortunate to receive over the last week of scorching temperatures.
Ms Thomas said multiple donors had come through with bags of ice, shell-shaped swimming pools and even iceblocks for staff.
“We can’t express how much we appreciate the kind gestures by members of the public and Maitland City,” she said.
“The dogs have loved it, it’s helped so much.”
Ms Thomas said that the shelter was always looking for donations to help during times of extreme heat.
“Everything helps at times like this. We’re really grateful.”
What you can donate to help:
- Ice
- Ice blocks
- Shade cloths