RSPCA Victoria has advised volunteers at the Bendigo Op Shop the store will not reopen following a two-month temporary closure.

The store was temporarily closed at the beginning of February due to staffing issues, however as the store has not been financially viable for some time, the difficult decision has been made not to reopen.

RSPCA Victoria Head of Operations Tanya Drakopoulos, wanted to thank the many volunteers and the community for their support.

“We understand this news may be disappointing to our wonderful volunteers and those in the community who have supported us,” Ms Drakopoulos said.

“However, as a not-for-profit organisation we have a responsibility to ensure everything we do is financially sustainable and is ultimately in the best interests of our core mission – ending cruelty to animals.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to our volunteers, some of whom have been volunteering with us for many years, and those in the community who have supported the shop and our work.

“While we won’t have a bricks and mortar presence in Bendigo, we will continue to support the community though our Inspectorate – investigating reports of animal cruelty, and through our Community Outreach and Education programs.”

There are many ways for the local community to continue to support RSPCA Victoria’s work to end cruelty to animals, including community fundraising and reporting animal cruelty.