New research has revealed that most New Zealanders don't know what it costs for SPCA to run the Inspectorate, where SPCA gets its funding from, and how many animals are helped by the organisation each year.

The survey found most New Zealanders were unaware that SPCA gets less than one per cent of government funding and they vastly under-estimated how much it costs to do its vital work.

SPCA commissioned the research ahead of its biggest fundraiser of the year, the Annual Appeal, to find out how much Kiwis really knew about the inner-workings of the much-loved organisation.

'Our hope for this research is that Kiwis will understand just how tough our financial reality really is," says SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen.

"It costs $43 million each year to run SPCA, and $9 million to fund the Inspectorate. But with less than one per cent of government funding, our nationwide fundraisers help us stay on our feet and care for the 41,000 animals that come through our doors each year.

'The donations we receive from the public during our Annual Appeal hugely contribute towards our Inspectors protecting animals and prosecuting those who are guilty of abuse. If you see a street collector with an SPCA bucket during our Annual Appeal, please remember that even a small contribution has a big impact on the lives of vulnerable animals across the country.”

The findings showed that almost half of those surveyed believed the government funded up to 25 percent of the SPCA's costs, with only 19 per cent choosing the correct option: that SPCA receives less than one percent of government funding.

Over two-thirds believe that the SPCA Inspectorate, responsible for rescuing animals and prosecuting animal-abusers, costs $3.7 million or less to run when the real figure is $9 million.

'We were surprised to hear that so many Kiwis didn't realise just how much money is required to run the Inspectorate. This doesn't just cover rescuing animals and responding to call-outs, it also includes caring for rescued animals, providing them with treatment, and prosecuting those responsible for abusing and neglecting them,” says Andrea.

When asked how many animals SPCA rescued every year, over three quarters of those surveyed guessed that 33,000 animals or fewer were rescued annually.

Only eight per cent correctly guessed that SPCA rescues 41,000 animals each year.

SPCA's Annual Appeal runs from March 4-10.

You can get involved by donating to street collectors around the country from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 March 2019, or online at: www.spca.nz/AnnualAppeal2019