Money raised by our readers for The P&J Community Fund has helped invigorate an already-dedicated band of Highland volunteers who care for animals in need.
Munlochy Animal Aid in Easter Ross is one of five charity partners who shared more than £126,000 raised for our fund this year.
The group’s founder Iona Nicol said the morale boost from being chosen by P&J readers has strengthened their resolve and ambitions.
She stressed “the financial benefits have been incredible” but added: “It’s given us a push and boost for morale to have been involved.”
Iona added: “It’s an amazing amount of money we’ve been given and it’s such a help that’s enabled us to do a lot more work than what we would have normally done.
“It’s also encouraged other people to support us who haven’t done so in the past.”
Munlochy Animal Aid is dedicated to caring for a wide range of animals.
Its mission is to provide shelter and veterinary care to animals in need, especially when their owners are unable to care for them temporarily due to hospitalisation, incarceration, homelessness, or other crises.
The organisation also offers financial assistance for emergency veterinary care and donates pet food to foodbanks in the local area.
The £25,249.95 it received from The P&J Community Fund will help the charity to develop its shelter facilities.
Iona and her team have continued to expand to accommodate 25 dogs and 40 to 50 cats and kittens.
Iona said: “Our plans are to extend the kennels, which is desperately needed.
“It’s not much about increasing the numbers but about increasing the capacity and space for the dogs who maybe have a long stay with us.
“So often an owner can find themselves having a bad time and need temporary care for their beloved pet, Munlochy provides that care at tragic times or when animals need help with veterinary care.”
It’s not just animals who benefit from Munlochy’s work.
The shelter regularly welcomes members of the local community to visit and interact with the animals, providing a therapeutic experience.
The group also actively works to promote responsible and compassionate pet ownership by offering educational talks and raising awareness about its work with the community.
We are now looking for new charity partners for 2025/26 and Iona urged other third-sector organisations to nominate themselves.
She said: “To other people who are thinking about getting involved, I’d say go for it.
“It’s been the most amazing experience. Everyone I’ve dealt with has been so supportive through the whole thing.
“The finances have been amazing, it’s such a big help.”
In 2023, this newspaper marked its 275th year of serving communities across the north and north-east by launching the P&J Community Fund.
We revealed on Monday how our generous army of readers and local businesses helped raise more than £126,000 this year for our five charity partners – Friends of Anchor, Save Bon Accord Baths, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), SurfABLE Scotland and Munlochy Animal Aid.
Now the search is on for two new charity partners for the next two years.
Charities have until midnight on Monday December 16 to nominate themselves to be in with a chance of benefiting from money raised for The P&J Community Fund in 2025/26.
Organisations can apply online here.
Craig Walker, editor of The Press and Journal, said: “We’re looking forward to finding our new charity partners who we’ll work with over the next two years to help promote the great work they do and raise as much money as possible.
Conversation