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The family-run firm, which already regularly donates its specialist line of natural pet food to over 40 rescue centres across the UK, has announced that it will this year offer vital support to three chosen charities as part of its ongoing Charity of the Year Programme.
Blue Cross, Yorkshire Cat Rescue and GalwaySPCA have all been selected by Burns to receive a year’s worth of financial assistance and food amounting to more than £100k in value.
The three charities were chosen following an application and interview process which saw over 25 animal welfare organisations apply in total. The collaboration marks the fourth consecutive year that Burns has run its Charity of the Year Programme as part of an ongoing initiative to give back to charity.
Burns Business Owner, Philanthropist and Veterinary Surgeon, John Burns hit the headlines last year after donating £1M to charity to mark the company’s 25th anniversary and commented: “I have decided that Burns should be a force for good. I want the company to not only be known for our natural pet food, but also for establishing and maintaining a legacy of good causes in the community.”
In addition to financial support, animal rescue charity Blue Cross, which has been running since 1897, will receive food at five of its rescue centres: Bromsgrove, Lewknor, Southampton, Burford and Tiverton.
Speaking about the partnership Joanna Bronziet, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Blue Cross, said: “There is a very natural fit between the ethos and objectives of Blue Cross and Burns which gives us lots of opportunities to work together in a very meaningful and impactful way. Burns will be providing its high-quality dog food to dedicated Blue Cross rehoming centres throughout the year and will also be raising funds towards our work across all of our services with pets.”
Yorkshire Cat Rescue finds homes for unwanted cats in the region and cares for around 90 animals per night. Burns’ support will help to provide around 2,000 meals for cats and dogs in January alone.
Yorkshire Cat Rescue founder Sara Atkinson said, “We are pleased and proud to have been chosen to work alongside Burns in 2019. It’s refreshing to see a pet food company recognising the work that regional charities do and offering its support by sponsoring our adoption and resident cats.”
The third organisation to receive support from Burns is GalwaySPCA, which rehabilitates and rehomes rescue cats and dogs in Galway with the view for them to find a second chance at happiness. As well as offering food and financial support to the organisation, Burns will also help GalwaySPCA to promote its services in Ireland through Burns’ own charity, The Burns Pet Nutrition Foundation.
Anita Broadmor of GalwaySPCA said, “We are really looking forward to working with Burns as a company whose passion for animal welfare is evident in their continuous development of high-quality nutritional diets and leaders in educating the importance and benefits of diets in companion animals. We share a mutual respect for the animals and the environment around us.”
In addition to its Charity of the Year Programme, Burns runs a number of grassroots projects including The Better Tomorrow Programme, which aims to engage and help young people to develop valuable life skills, and The Burns by Your Side reading to dogs’ programme, designed to help children struggling with literacy and communication. The company takes a proactive approach to giving back and has 10 full-time members of staff working in its community department.
Burns was founded in 1993 on the principle that feeding pets a healthy, natural diet is key to helping them thrive. Today, John Burns wants to use the success of the business as a vehicle for positive change. He is calling on companies of all sizes to support and engage with their local communities and charitable organisations as much as possible, stressing that it’s integral to maintaining and securing customer trust.
