Ninth Local Legend Grant Winner

Congratulations to Vada’s Angels Animal Rescue Tauranga for being awarded the ninth $5,000 Local Legend Grant.

When we met the team from Vada’s Angels Animal Rescue in a beautiful paddock in Whakamarama, they were surrounded by a crew of rescued horses and dogs. Each animal had their own unique quirks based on their ‘life-before-Vada’s’, like kind-natured Blaze the dog who is blind. The paddock was gifted to them as a space to rehabilitate rescue horses, and it is this kind of generosity that the small team of carers and volunteers rely on heavily to continue providing their services.

Kat, Owner, and primary caregiver said, “Initially I thought I’d start small with just 10 dogs, but I discovered very quickly that the need for our services was just too great, so within a couple of months we expanded rapidly. We also started getting requests for horses that needed our help, so we began providing services for them as well”.

Kat explained she and her small team of volunteers work with local vets, Koru Pet Healthcare in Tauriko as well as local councils to implement animal healthcare programs. It’s this collaboration between groups and preventative care strategy that helps them from being “the ambulance at the bottom of the hill”.

When asked what this $5,000 grant means to her and her team, her response was that it would pay for current and future vet bills, and to help run a desexing drive.

Click here to visit Vada’s Angels Animal Rescue Tauranga Facebook page – they are always open to help!