Branch secretary Antonia Champion said over the Christmas period, Rebecca and Peter Davis from the Glen Innes TSG store offered to donate the proceeds of their Santa Paws to the local RSPCA branch.

“They normally have children come and take their photo with Santa at Christmas and they offered to do it with pets for us and to give us the money raised,” Ms Champion said.

“We raised over $200 the first time and the second time around there was about another $50 or so raised.

“Rebecca and Peter have been incredibly generous so obviously we’re delighted with that.”

Sadly, Christmas time was often a very busy time for the RSPCA, Ms Champion said.

“[A volunteer] was driving out near the dump the other day and saw a little kitten,” Ms Champion said.

“She called it and it came to her, so obviously it’s been someone’s pet.

“We’ve had a couple of surrenders, cats with kittens … it’s ongoing but unfortunately after Christmas there are always the ones that are unwanted.

“At the moment we’ve got a lot of cats and kittens which we are battling to look after because we’re very short of foster carers.”

Peter Davis said the event was an opportunity to put something back into the community.

“We donated [in 2015] but we just gave the money to the RSPCA and not to our local branch,” he said.

“This year we did Santa Paws which the RSPCA had been put in place as well.

“We organise Santa, print the photos and then all the money goes straight to the RSPCA.

“What’s really great is that the money stays here at our local branch.”

Mr Davis said he hoped the initiative would grow each year.

“Helping out the RSPCA by doing dog and cat photos, I think is a good thing,” Mr Davis said.

“I really think it could grow every year.”

If you would like to adopt a pet in Glen Innes visit the RSPCA website at www.rspca.org.au/adopt-pet.

If you would like to volunteer or for more information contact the Glen Innes RSPCA on 0409 704 388.

Membership is available from 13 years of age and volunteering is available to those over 16 years.