That's the question staff of Clunes IGA and residents of the small community are asking after what is understood to be the town's only 24-hour publicly accessible defibrillator device was stolen sometime in the past six weeks from the front of the Service Street store.

But far from getting angry about it, the town's people are using it as a way of bringing people together, with the IGA holding a special fundraiser on October 31 in order to raise funds for a new life-saving device.

IGA owner-manager Dianne Hill said the theft was only noticed at least 10 days after it was taken, as nearby CCTV had been overwritten by the time it was discovered.

"It was about six weeks ago we think, one Monday when I returned from holidays I found it had been removed from its container and not returned," Ms Hill said.

"I thought someone must have grabbed it over the weekend, then Tuesday came along and it hadn't been returned which we thought was a bit strange.

"Then as the week went on, it sort of became apparent it had been stolen. It's probably now in a creek somewhere or for sale online."

Ms Hill said the Bendigo Bank and Masonic Lodge had raised the funds for it originally, but she felt it was unfair to ask for their support again, so she has enlisted the town to get behind the fundraising.

"Next Thursday we have our normal market day, it's Halloween, so we'll be dressing up a bit, businesses around town are contributing, there will be a barbecue out the front here run through the Golf Club," she said.

"Quigley and Clarke Cafe will be donating 50 cents from every coffee sold, other businesses are getting behind it with donation tins and other raffles, we'll also be making up a coin table.

"Usually on the market day we have about 500 people come through, hopefully we can get up to 1000 and we can raise enough money for a new defibrillator."

Ms Hill said the goal would be to raise enough money for the new machine, which traditionally costs between $2000 and $3000, but it was hoped enough could be raised for a security alarm or a GPS tracker which can track it when it would be used.

"There a few machines in town, the football club has one, the health services as well, but unless they are open or there is a match on or something, they aren't easily accessed," she said.

"This is the one that can be accessed 24 hours a day if needed."

If you have any details regarding the theft, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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