“Locked Up for Love”: Garden Route SPCA Members Get Arrested in a Clever Bid To Raise Money

• The Garden Route SPCA partnered with SCDF Security for a fundraiser called Locked Up for Love
• Business owners and community members across George took part in the fun one-day event, with the money raised going directly towards the SPCA
• South Africans flooded the comments with a mix of admiration and confusion about what was going on

The Garden Route SPCA came up with one of the most creative fundraising ideas seen in a while, and it paid off in a big way. Their official TikTok page, @garden_route_spca, shared the video of the Locked Up for Love fundraiser that took place at the Garden Route Mall in George. In the clip, you can see real-looking "arrests" happening right there in the mall, with SCDF Security officers walking volunteers out in front of surprised shoppers. Some passersby rushed over to see what was happening, not realising it was all part of a planned fundraiser.

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The way it worked was simple. Volunteers, mostly business owners and community members from the George area, agreed to be "arrested" for the day. Once locked up, they had to raise their own bail money from friends, family, colleagues and the public. Every rand raised went straight to the SPCA. By the end of the day, the community had come together to raise a total of R230,000 for the animals in the SPCA's care.

SPCAs across South Africa rely almost entirely on public donations, community fundraising and corporate partnerships to keep their doors open. From veterinary care and sterilisation programmes to food, shelter and adoption services, the costs never stop. Many people are unaware that without continued community support, a lot of SPCAs would simply have to close.

Pet insurer dotsure also participated in the same Locked Up for Love fundraiser and raised over R15,800 in a single day.

View the TikTok clip below:

SA confused by the SPCA fundraiser

People had a lot to say once they figured out what was going on on the TikTok page @garden_route_spca's clip:

@bdh0421🇿🇦 explained:

"They worked together with the SPCA and SCDF to arrest them. Then used their arrest to raise funds for the Locked Up for Love fundraiser. They weren't actually arrested. It was role play, people."

@gillthe1 joked:

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"Comments are a reflection of our pass rate."

@Zintle M wrote:

"Lovely 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Most SPCAs are closed because of a lack of funding."

@faridabotes said:

"I had to read this twice to understand what was going on 💀"

@zandile.creates wrote:

"Uhhhm, I'm not quite following."

@user75513032108300 pointed out:

"The SPCA doesn't have the authority to make arrests. They must have a police present."

More on SA fundraising and giving back

• Briefly News recently reported on the family of a Vanderbijlpark teacher racing to raise R2.2 million after a tragic accident in China.
• Social media influencer Mandisi Tshingana stepped in after a video of a teacher humiliating a young boy over a pie went viral, raising thousands to make things right for the child.
• Gomora actress Sannah Mchunu made headlines after donating money to the same young boy from Thembalethu Primary School.

Source: Briefly News