With the Christmas lights event, it wants to raise awareness and funds to buy the equipment needed to care for the animals. 

“We have been hosting this event for about eight years but we have decided to scale down and focus on the cause,” said financial clerk Portia Ramatsa.

In previous years, residents would attend the event for the performances and for their children to meet Santa Claus. This year the committee decided to scale down with less attention on performances and more on the reason for hosting it.

The event is also being hosted in preparation for the festive season when an influx of pet admissions to the SPCA is expected as some owners go away for the holidays.

Ramatsa said the initiative also aims to bring the community together. They want to do that by showing the community how they take care of the animals and also by providing something for the Bloemfontein community to do during the festive season.

Since its opening on Tuesday (10/12), visitor numbers have been rising steadily each day. It ends on Friday.

All animal lovers are invited to visit the SPCA before the event to interact with the animals in its care.

OFM News/Casey-Lee Anthony dg/mvh