SPCA TO LAUNCH MAJOR DRIVE AGAINST ABUSE OF ANIMALS AND HUMANS

SPCA TO LAUNCH MAJOR DRIVE AGAINST ABUSE OF ANIMALS AND HUMANS
Norm Hewitt to play key role in anti-abuse education campaign
For release: 1 November 2006
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The Royal New Zealand SPCA will this Friday (3rd November) launch a major educational campaign aimed at reducing violence against both animals and humans. The launch's date has been chosen to coincide with the start of the SPCA's Annual Appeal week, which lasts from 3rd to 10th November.

The campaign, will give a lead role to former All Black and 'Dancing with the Stars' Champion, Norm Hewitt, who will be leading the anti-abuse campaign and supporting the educational programme into schools throughout NZ over the next three years.

"We've called the campaign 'One of the Family' because we want animals to be safe, secure and loved members of the human families whose homes they share. And we also think that a family that truly cares for its animal members, will be a loving and responsible unit in which everyone is respected and children are safe," says the Royal New Zealand SPCA's National Chief Executive, Robyn Kippenberger.

"Norm will take the campaign to selected schools in the Bay of Plenty, South Auckland and Wellington between now and Christmas, in the company of local SPCA representatives.
"Each year, the SPCA investigates numerous cases of violence and cruelty towards animals and, all too often, the perpetrators are children or teenagers. This is of clear and obvious concern to the SPCA, particularly when we know how the violence can escalate.