A grant to the Pet Food Bank Service from The Kennel Club Charitable Trust has enabled the charitable organisation to deliver a record-breaking 3,008 pet meals since January 2021, reaching even more pets and people facing additional pressures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Based in Cardiff, the Pet Food Bank Service supports elderly and vulnerable pet owners, homeless people, and those in financial crisis by providing meals and items for their much-loved pets which they otherwise couldn’t afford – with dogs making up to 90 per cent of those pets. The charity has found that the number of people finding themselves in a difficult financial situation which negatively impacts the health and welfare of their pets has grown significantly since the beginning of the pandemic.
Thanks to a grant from The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, the charity was able to purchase a van and become fully mobile, enabling the service to reach more clients and extend its services to Swansea and Merthyr. Since the beginning of this year, the Pet Food Bank Service has been able to deliver 580 per cent more meals compared to the same period last year. Having delivered a record of 9,000 pet meals last year, the Pet Food Bank Service is well on its way to surpass its goal this year. The new van makes it easier for the charity to reach pets in need and help more people facing multiple life barriers which have, in many cases, been amplified by the pandemic.
The work of the Pet Food Bank Service doesn’t only help alleviate human poverty and dog hunger, but also prevents pets from being rehomed due to welfare issues, provides leads and collars for dogs belonging to the homeless – helping them to comply with dog laws – and also helps to keep vulnerable and elderly owners healthy and safe as they don’t have to choose between feeding their pets or themselves.
Debi Emmett, Executive at the Pet Food Bank Service commented: “We are very grateful to The Kennel Club Charitable Trust for their donation towards our van, which has helped us to expand and meet the ever-growing demand for our services. This has been fuelled by the pandemic which has put more and more owners, who need their much-loved pets, in difficult situations.
“Thanks to the van we have not only expanded our area, but also added four more venues and two independent foodbanks on the list of community hubs we supply with pet foods, which wouldn’t be possible without the transportation. Partnership with these venues means that we are reaching a wider number of people who otherwise might not have access to our services or food for their pets. We were also able to support FareShare foodbank with their invaluable work, and deliver Christmas toys for kids, truly helping out the community through these difficult times.”
Reverend Bill King, Chairman of The Kennel Club Charitable Trust said: “Helping organisations and projects like the Pet Food Bank Service is at the core of The Kennel Club Charitable Trust’s work. We know that this support has become even more important since the start of the pandemic and we are proud to be able to keep these vital organisations above the water and enable them to support their communities throughout these unprecedented times.
“It is amazing to understand the difference the van made to the Pet Food Bank Service’s work already and how many more dogs were they able to reach. We are proud to be part of this project which is vitally helping to make a difference for dogs and their owners.”
The Kennel Club Charitable Trust provides support to dozens of dog health, welfare and rescue charities, projects and schemes every year. More information about the Trust and how to donate is available on The Kennel Club website.