Mitrade Foundation Joins RSPCA Australia to Support Animal Welfare in Victoria
On 7 August 2026, 11 members from Mitrade's Australia team visited the RSPCA Victoria facility for a day of hands-on volunteering.
When most people think of animal welfare, they often picture the dramatic rescue or heartwarming adoption day. Far less visible is the continuous, painstaking work that happens in between: cleaning, feeding, monitoring health and helping each animal adjust to a safe environment.
That invisible middle is where the real work of a shelter happens, and it requires practical knowledge, unwavering patience and a deep understanding of animal welfare.
Why We Worked with RSPCA Victoria
For over 150 years, RSPCA Victoria has been a cornerstone of animal protection across the state. As part of the national RSPCA federation, its reach extends from shelter and rehoming operations to full-scale veterinary care, cruelty prevention, community outreach and advocacy.
What drew us to RSPCA Victoria was their masterclass in balance: combining high-standard, direct animal care with practical community education.
At Mitrade Foundation, we believe in supporting local expertise rather than reinventing the wheel. RSPCA Victoria understands its community and its animals better than anyone. Our objective was simple: show up, listen and provide the practical horsepower needed to keep their facilities running smoothly.
What We Did with RSPCA Victoria
Working directly under the shelter team supervision, our day began with essential safety and welfare training, including learning the '8-metre rule' for walking shelter dogs safely.
Across the facility, the team cleaned five large outdoor enclosures, including washing floors and glass partitions, along with high-pressure cleaning on the cages. The team also scrubbed 20 cat cages and maintained multiple dog feeding stations across the shelter.
Another part of the work focused on the shelter's recycling work. We cleaned and sorted materials collected from our public recycling bins, then packed the items into 5kg boxes. This directly supports the RSPCA recycling programme that converts waste into operational funding for animal care.
It wasn't all heavy scrubbing. The team also took the shelter dogs on enrichment walks and spent structured quiet time with the cats. Even a simple dog walk at a shelter is a precise exercise in animal behavioural care that requires distance, calm energy and respect for the individual animal's needs.
Why It Matters
One day of volunteering cannot solve the broader societal challenges of animal abandonment and shelter overpopulation.
However, one day can ensure 20 cats return to pristine quarters, it can deep-clean large outdoor runs so the dogs have a safe space to stretch. It can process recyclable materials that convert directly into shelter funding.
Real impact is rarely built on one grand gesture. It is built through thousands of small, informed, and consistent decisions. Moving forward, the Mitrade Foundation remains committed to backing established local leaders and standing behind the experts who care for our communities, one practical step at a time.