Dr David Hodges, from Stellar Vets, taps to donate to local charities
Littlehampton Vet Taps Into Innovative Donation System To Help Local Charities
1 year ago 
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A Littlehampton based veterinary practice has launched an innovative new ‘tap to donate’ system that will help people give more easily to two local animal charities.
Stellar Vets, which is located in the heart of Littlehampton at 14-16 Anchor Springs, has installed Zettle card readers in its practice window, setting them up with a fixed £3 donation, so anyone passing by can simply tap to donate to Clymping Dog Sanctuary and Worthing Cat Welfare.
Dr David Hodges, from Stellar Vets, said: “We have supported Clymping Dog Sanctuary and Worthing Cat Welfare since we opened, collecting bedding, blankets, food and toys, as well as matching any financial donations made by the public in our collection tins on reception. We have also fundraised and helped find new forever homes through our Facebook page for cats and dogs the charities are caring for.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve found far fewer people carry cash on them. The collection tins have become an inefficient way of raising money for the causes we believe in, and banking the cash is a hassle.
“We knew there had to be a better way, so we started to research alternatives. Two systems specifically for charities were exorbitantly priced and the fees to use their kit would have consumed the first 250 donations, which was something we found wholly unacceptable! So, we did some more research and created something we believe is a first for any veterinary practice in the UK.”
The two ‘tap to donate’ readers are similar to what buskers in city centres use, with a fixed amount already programmed in. David added: “We have set them up to take £3 and the readers are mounted onto the inside of the practice window. They operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so even when the practice is closed we’re still raising money for these marvellous charities.
“We are so lucky that we have so many amazing clients who often help with our charitable efforts, but the fact that our practice is situated right next to the main bus stop, where hundreds of people walk past every day, means we will be able to raise significantly more money than ever.”
Clymping Dog Sanctuary in Arundel is run by a dedicated team of volunteers who have been rescuing dogs since 1952 and offers them a safe refuge, taking care of all their needs until they can be rehomed.
Worthing Cat Welfare was established in 1995 and provides a safe and caring environment for abandoned, unwanted and distressed cats and kittens in the Worthing area. The charity also arranges veterinary care via Stellar Vets, neutering, microchipping and finds cats loving, permanent homes wherever possible.
Nigel Stentiford from Clymping Dog Sanctuary, said: “We are very grateful for all the support from David and the team at Stellar Vets and their clients. They have always worked hard to help us and this new innovation is really exciting. Every penny makes a difference to us and anything that makes donating quicker and easier is a real godsend.”
Allison Pyett, from Worthing Cat Welfare, said: “Technology changes quickly and now so many people use their cards and phones to pay for things. Carrying cash has become quite rare these days and as a result we’ve seen the income for our charity decline whilst the number of cats we need to help increases, so a system like this will make it easier for people to help us. We can’t thank the team at Stellar Vets enough – there are so many people who want to help, and Stellar Vets has made it simple to do that.”
For further information about Stellar Vets visit https://stellar.vet/ or visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stellarvet
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