This morning Dame Patsy was the first member of the SPCA's new Giving Hearts legacy programme to have the privilege of naming a rescue animal - in this case, a foxy-chihuahua cross - which she named Coco after her own dog.
The SPCA receives approximately a third of its income from bequests - and Giving Hearts donors will ensure that their vital work to assist 40,000 animals annually can continue.
SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen noted that education programmes for children, now in over half our primary and intermediate schools, are aimed at developing a new generation of New Zealanders who understand their responsibilities to look after animals in their care.
