Finn was a lockdown adoption who became his mom’s whole world. When his birthday comes around every June, Lesa-Mare helps him throw a party for every animal that needs it!
Gqeberha, South Africa (05 May 2026) – Finn is an adorably slinky little fundraising pooch from Nelson Mandela Bay who has made collecting donations for animals in need his annual birthday tradition!
This year, he celebrates his 6th birthday on 24 June. Finn and his human, local radio presenter Lesa-Mare Harris, are going big for their fifth year of making a difference together.
Every year from May to June, Finn becomes a four-legged community hero. With the helping human hands of his mom, he collects food, blankets, and supplies for shelters and organisations caring for stray and homeless animals across the Nelson Mandela Bay and Kouga areas. The donations are then distributed around his birthday, because this little doggo cares less about treats and more about helping his fellow furry friends.
Last year, Finn’s campaign collected a whopping 338.25kg of dog food, 25kg of cat food, 53 canned foods, 48 blankets, 27 dog bowls, 16 pet food bags, 2 dog beds, 4 leashes, 3 litres of pet shampoo and even raised R2500 in monetary donations toward animal vaccinations and sterilisations! This year, the goal is even bigger to reach and support more animals than before.
Finn is a proper little hero, even showing up for the Uitenhage SPCA with heaps of support when they needed it most.
Finn came into Lesa-Mare’s life during lockdown, and he’s been her shadow ever since.
“Finn was adopted during lockdown and has filled my heart. Finn is my best friend, travel companion and my baby. He is more of a friend than a pet, and offers endless love and wagging tail vibes to everyone who visits. So now I want to give back to community projects that help animals, and are currently struggling financially.” she says.
The project kicked off on 1 May and runs through to 24 June 2026. If you’d like to contribute, you can drop off dog and cat food, blankets, or any animal-related donations at one of the five collection points:
- Zbrands – Villiers Road, Walmer
- JBay Toerisme Sentrum – Jeffreysbaai
- OJ Charity Shop – Oosterland Jeug Sentrum, Despatch
- Mount Pleasant Vet – Buffelsfontein Road
- Daylee Creations – Lorraine
For more information, reach out to Lesa-Mare at [email protected]
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