At 93-years-young, our volunteer foster carer Rhonda has experienced a great deal of change in her life, however, one thing has remained constant and that is her unwavering love of animals.
The animal enthusiast has a huge heart and often falls head over heels in love with every creature great and small that she meets.
Having moved to a beachside suburb in Queensland over 40 years ago with her late husband Frank, the couple were fortunate enough to purchase a large block of land that enabled them to welcome alpacas to their repertoire of much-loved pets.
Rhonda said Frank surprised her by bringing home the three beautiful boys (Seipa, Gabriel and Houdini), all intelligent and gentle in nature… It was a case of love at first sight.
"Alpacas thrive on social interaction with each other and so three was obviously the perfect number for our home,: says Rhonda.
Following the passing of her beloved husband, Rhonda became a volunteer foster carer for her local RSPCA shelter and devoted many hours to helping care for homeless animals.
Rhonda made the decision during this time to register her own pets in our Home Ever After program, which gave her piece of mind knowing that RSPCA would care for her pets if ever she was unable to.
Last year 1,651 pets were registered in our Home Ever After program ranging from much loved pet rats, chickens,
parrots, alpacas, horses and of course, many dogs and cats. You can browse our handy step-by-step guide on how to give your special pet a Home Ever After thanks to our program.
Knowing that her animals would always be well looked after was of the utmost importance to Rhonda. Sadly, earlier this year one of her alpacas, Sepia, passed away after a long, superb life and Rhonda was left with her two precious boys Gabriel and Houdini.
Seipa’s passing consequently had a devastating impact on their peaceful farm life and Rhonda’s two remaining boys begun to have serious disagreements.
Rhonda reached out to rehome Gabriel so the boys could live separate but happy lives. Thankfully, Rhonda knew we would find the perfect family for Gabriel, and he would continue to receive the same abundance of love and care in his new home.
At RSPCA Queensland, we are at the forefront of animal welfare and leaving a gift in your will means your love of animals will last on into the future. Please visit our page on how to Leave a Gift in Your Will so you can make an informed decision on an important choice in your life.
The love you feel for animals can live on forever.
