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Work to rehabilitate Tauranga's wildlife and assist with the city's stray cat populations will benefit from a $5000 raised in a fundraiser for the ARRC Trust this week.

More than 40 guests attended a luncheon fundraiser at Phil's Place at Sulphur Point on Tuesday, with many flinging up their hands to buy one of seven auction items.

ARRC coordinator Dr Liza Schneider and Eves Realty auctioneer Grant Child.

Guests enjoyed a three course meal and auction, including items signed by the ACDC drummer Phil Rudd, who made a short appearance to show his support.

ARRC coordinator Dr Liza Schneider says about $5000 has been raised from the event's tickets sales, coupled with auction sales and a generous $500 donation gifted by Legacy Funerals Trust.

'It was wonderful – we had such fabulous support and amazing people there – and not only did we get to educate people about what ARRC does, but also we got to raise so much money, which will be invaluable for its operations,” says Liza.

Funding will go towards the wildlife centre, which was established in 2003 by Liza after discussions with the Department of Conservation to identify areas where voluntary veterinary expertise could be of assistance in treating and rehabilitating native wildlife.

ARRC is also proactive with animal-related projects such as the ‘ARRC Spay the Stray Cat Campaign' and the ‘ARRC Adopt a Pet Programme' which involves taking in and re-homing stray cats.

Liza says the Spay the Stray campaign has enabled ARRC to take more than 570 cats off the streets during the last 18 months.

'We've re-homed more than 350 and de-sexed a heap,” says Liza, who believes there is still a need for this work to be performed by ARRC.

'We're fundamentally a wildlife trust and are there for the wildlife completely – and we've taken an active role in re-homing cats because it was such a big growing problem.”

'We are concerned about not only the welfare of the cats, but the welfare of our wildlife – as some cats can be a threat to our wildlife,” says Liza.

'But the ultimate and underlying tone is the same work we do with our wildlife, we need to do on a broader scale with regard to pet ownership, educating people about responsibility and doing it in a correct manner so that animals get de-sexed, they're looked after properly and they're not left behind when we move.

'And with wildlife that that's respected, so we don't see people abusing hedgehogs and seagulls and such like, and people look after their fishing tackle; and that could save us a lot of casualties.”

The fundraiser comes just weeks ahead of the airing of the wildlife centre's own reality TV series ‘MAD Vets 24/7…Making a Difference'.

The series, filmed in the last few months, will consist of 30 minute episodes detailing the daily events at the centre.

Liza wanted to thank all of the event's sponsors, as well as Phil Rudd; Phil's Place: Jo and Penny and their incredible staff, Kewpie Harbour Cruises, Mills Reef winery, Orca Adventure Tours, Tauranga Tandem Sky Dive, Allure Nails, Eves Realty for sharing auctioneer Grant Child and Legacy Funerals.