Portland Wine Cellars support
"SAVE THE MOON BEARS"

 

Kind-hearted staff at the Rufford Veterinary Group, on Wennington Road, Southport, have stripped off to try and raise £100,000 for animal rescue charity, Animals Asia Foundation (AAF).

They have joined forces with their colleagues at the group’s Rufford base to turn on the style.

True to their profession, the girls chose to snuggle up to pets in the saucy but tasteful calendar featuring their favourite horses, dogs, rabbits, cats, and the goshawk Mordecai.

The project is the brainchild of the February 2010 calendar star, Gillian Williams, and has been personally backed by Steve Ashcroft and Julie Stock from the Lancashire Moon Bear Support Group.

She was inspired to raise money for the charity after learning about moon bears from an AAF stand at a veterinary nursing conference four years ago.

She has been to China to see the work of the charity for herself.

Pictures of rescued moon bears appear on the calendar.

Gill, head veterinary nurse at the Rufford branch, said: “When I first saw pictures of the bears in cages tears started streaming down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and wanted to do something to help them.

“Some of the girls took a bit more persuading than others, but the photographers were very light-hearted.

“The calendars will make great Christmas presents for every animal lover and I hope the whole vet community and its suppliers will get behind us. All the Calendar Vet girls have been brilliant, brave and worked so hard.”

Sally White, head veterinary nurse at the Southport branch, said: “Gill asked us to do it and at first we were very excited, but then we all became very nervous when the day got closer.

“It was a really nice thing to do and for a worthy cause.

“The customers have been very positive and we’ve sold quite a few already.”

Jill Robinson, founder of AAF, said: “It takes some courage to show a little extra flesh – but the brave vet nurses from the Rufford Vet Practice have left their blushes behind by posing elegantly and tastefully together with their beloved best friends.

“Animals Asia and the bears they are helping thousands of miles away in China and Vietnam send a huge and heartfelt thank you to them all!”

The calendars, priced £10, are on sale from thesurgeries and from Portland Wine Cellars