The pet meals banks conserving animals with their house owners | EUROtoday

“A lot of people seem to think you shouldn’t have a pet if you can’t feed it, but it’s a bigger picture than that.”

Anita Arthur co-founded Animal Foodbank UK with Robert Miller, after each had volunteered for animal charities and recognised how many individuals have been struggling to feed their beloved pets.

With many meals banks not providing pet meals, Ms Arthur and Mr Miller, from Redditch, realised there was a necessity for one providing pet meals.

What began off with two £20 donations from its co-founders has now exploded right into a group of greater than 120 volunteers, protecting the expanse of the UK from Scotland all the way down to Cornwall, donating meals to virtually 6,000 pet house owners.

Over the final three years the group, which now has charity standing, has donated 150,000 meals for pets in want throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Ms Arthur believes they often is the solely service within the UK that sends out pet meals donations by supply, versus assortment providers.

“We don’t have to be referred to. Anybody can call, drop into our drop-in centres and we’ll help them,” Ms Arthur mentioned.

People obtain two weeks’ value of meals for his or her pets every month, and the group additionally works with different organisations reminiscent of homeless lodging providers to assist folks in want.

The charity doesn’t request proof of low revenue or advantages in an effort to ship out donations, and there are solely two causes they won’t present donations to an applicant.

“If anybody’s breeding dogs, we won’t help them, because we’ve got to promote responsible ownership,” Ms Arthur mentioned.

“And if people have food off us, then go and get more pets and come back for more food, we will refuse.”

Another pet meals financial institution, established extra lately within the West Midlands, is the West Bromwich Emergency Pet Pantry, run by 47-year-old Louise Colledge.

With donation factors in West Bromwich and Smethwick, the pet pantry tries to cowl the entire of Sandwell.

“I used to work for a local charity, which provided a food bank for humans, but a lot of people came in and asked for pet food,” Ms Colledge mentioned.

“I thought it was something missing from the area.”

People can telephone, textual content or e mail the group for a referral, and may obtain every week’s value of pet meals thrice over a six-month interval, with longer-lasting assist supplied in additional extreme circumstances.

Both teams recognise the troublesome circumstances that may result in folks struggling to supply for his or her pets.

“We have had a lady who escaped domestic violence and had to leave with her two dogs and the children,” Ms Colledge mentioned.

“We’ve supported her a bit extra, while getting back on her feet and sorting benefits out.”

Over at Animal Foodbank UK, Ms Arthur mentioned that they had seen a widow come to them after struggling to pay for her husband’s gravestone, whereas one other lady was set again by the price of euthanising her canine.

“Using her money to end the suffering of her dog meant she was left without money to feed the rest of her pets,” Ms Arthur mentioned.

What is necessary to each teams is supporting struggling pet house owners with out judgement and the broader implications that may have for the folks they assist.

“If we can feed a pensioner’s dog for two weeks, that could allow them to have the heating on. If someone’s car’s broken on the way to work, we can step in,” Ms Arthur mentioned.

“Lots of these people would rather feed their pets than feed themselves.”

Ms Colledge believes in giving folks the assist they should hold pets at house with their house owners.

She has additionally seen homeless folks flip down lodging to allow them to stick with their pets.

“Some people love their pets so much they’ll hand them into a rescue if they can’t afford food, so [our work] also supports the rescues,” she mentioned.

“We do have people that are having to choose whether they feed themselves or their pets.”