Matt Franklin, Royal New Zealand SPCA regional manager and administrator for SPCA Wairarapa, said $20,000 would be enough to "get the ball rolling" to provide limited services to the area.
He said the money should be enough to get an inspector operating for up to three months, at two days a week, but a lot more would be needed to give Wairarapa its full service back.
"Twenty thousand dollars is a start but it will be a lot more than that. We're looking at funding from all possibilities, but if we can get it, it will give us a base."
SPCA Op Shop volunteer, Ross Nixon, said the shop and the community donations were integral for SPCA Wairarapa's reinstatement.
"Without [the SPCA] it's like having a police station with no policeman," he said.
Mr Nixon said the shop overheads were kept minimal to get the centre back up and running as soon as possible.
The money raised through the op shop, and donated funds, were kept in an account only accessible by shop manager Fleur Harlick and Mr Franklin.
"We want to be as transparent as possible," said Mr Nixon.
"We need $20,000 for the inspector and we're halfway there. That's going to be the base of the SPCA. After that's established we can look at establishing a re-homing centre.
"It needs to be done from the ground up and done really well," he said.
SPCA life member and former centre manager Val Ball was at the SPCA Op Shop yesterday when Mr Rewi presented the $500 cheque, and said she was grateful for the donation from Breadcraft.
Mrs Ball said she would ask Henley Mens Shed to replicate a smaller version of the job thermometer, which is displayed at the town hall, to display the status of the SPCA's raising funds.
"So the public can see the progress," she said.
