A popular op shop is opening the doors to a second Kelmscott shop this month and all profits will go toward helping disadvantaged families care for their animals.
The Armadale Community Animal Rescue Group Op Shop will open its new store on July 29 in a ceremony with Armadale Mayor Henry Zelones as guest of honour.
All of the money raised from sales at the shop will go toward helping families who cannot afford to sterilise and microchip their pets.
The new shop will be run entirely by volunteers and its services will complement its existing Kelmscott shop, which supports a shelter for stray and abandoned animals.
Shop manager Diane Yamaguchi said money raised would help slow the cycle of newborn animals being abandoned.
“This op shop will help people who are low-income or health care card holders get their cats desexed and microchipped and their dogs microchipped,” she said.
“It’s all run by volunteers and all profits will go toward sterilisation and microchipping.”
As well as its existing Kelmscott shop, the Armadale Community Animal Rescue Group also operates another in Kwinana.
The Kwinana shop puts its profits toward funding the same services as the new shop will.
Ms Yamaguchi said because the shop was run entirely by volunteers the organisation was able to provide a direct support to the community.
“All profits go towards sterilisation and microchipping,” she said.
However Ms Yamaguchi said the shop would not be able to operate without community support and they were always looking for workers who could commit themselves.
“I need an honest, reliable core group of people to help out,” she said.
Ms Yamaguchi said she was desperate for supervisors who could be trusted and had a good head for keeping the shop in shape.
“I’m after people who can come in and run the shop, it doesn’t matter if it’s only one day a week,” she said.
Ms Yamaguchi said volunteers enjoyed the community spirit of being at the shops the most, and she had even given up retirement living because she enjoyed it so much.
“I like the social aspect of the shop,” she said.
“It gets me out.
“I’ve never been a sit at home person, I’ve always worked and when I retired I didn’t want to sit around at home.”
The organisation was also asking for donations.
Anybody interested in volunteering at the organisation can visit the Armadale Community Animal Rescue Group Op Shop and pick up a volunteer form or visit their Facebook page.
The current shop is located at 5/2 Gillam Drive, Kelmscott.
