Mystery donor gives cat and dog home £26,000 in cryptocurreny

A cat and dog home is celebrating after receiving an anonymous donation of more than £26,000 worth of cryptocurrency.

The mystery donor gave the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home the virtual cash after the animal welfare charity started accepting cryptocurrency donations just last week.

The home, in Seafield, relies solely on the generosity of others and said the surprise gift will help them look after their animals.

Karlyn Robertson, development manager, said: “We wish we could thank this donor in person but instead we would like to send them a message – I hope you know how much this is appreciated and what it means to us.

“The home is entirely funded by donations and your generosity will go a long way to helping us keep our animals fed, sheltered and having the veterinary care they need.”

It costs the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home around £2m a year to rescue, reunite and rehome stray and unwanted pets across East of Scotland.

Last year, the home cared for 610 dogs and 247 cats.

The charity also works in the local community to tackle pet poverty, keeping animals in loving homes with its dedicated food bank.

The large donation was made anonymously, through The Giving Block website, in the Ethereum (ETH) currency.

It came just days after the charity launched its platform for accepting the virtual coinage and since then the home has received donations in a range of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin.

Ms Robertson said: “Cryptocurrency donations are a new area for the home but it’s amazing to see this take off so quickly and what a huge impact it can have on the care of our dogs and cats.

“It comes at the perfect time for us when other income streams like in-person events have been disrupted, so we couldn’t be more grateful for this lifeline.”