By Barbara Cartwright | CEO
A bowl of pet food can make the difference between keeping a pet and having to give it up. 58% of Canadian households report they own at least one dog or cat, and many consider their companion animals a member of their family.
The Covid-19 crisis illuminated the need for animal shelters across Canada to adjust their operations in order to not only focus on protection, adoption and education, but also to provide critical social and community support to companion-animal-loving Canadians who may be suffering financially in this uncertain time.
“It is no secret that the pandemic has brought on financial challenges for many Canadians,” said Barbara Cartwright, CEO, Humane Canada. “Animal shelters throughout our country are reporting an increasing need from the community – particularly for pet food. As government support programs end, we anticipate more risk to companion animals of homelessness and abandonment,” concluded Cartwright.
Therefore, mechanisms are now needed to ensure that families can afford to keep their beloved companion animals and that our shelter system does not become overwhelmed by surrenders. With a $100,000 grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada, Humane Canada aims provide immediate emergency grants to organizations involved in pet food banking, while convening a taskforce of experts from animal shelters, Food Banks Canada, pet food retailers and manufacturers to determine how to set up Canada’s first National Pet Food Bank system.
Humane Canada launched the first round of grants this past March and selected eight organizations, including the Saskatchewan SPCA and The Agapé Centre, a soup kitchen and food bank in Cornwall, Ont. The response to this grant was outstanding and while Humane Canada was not able to provide funding for all applicants, thanks to the help received by Petsmart Charities of Canada, a second round of grants will open for applications in the fall of 2021.
Since 1999, through its partnership with more than 220 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across Canada, PetSmart Charities of Canada has helped more than 300,000 pets to find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 140 PetSmart® stores. The leading funder of animal welfare has also donated more than $19 million to positively impact communities, to connect people and pets, to help preserve families and to improve access to veterinary care through initiatives like this with Humane Canada.
To learn more about this breakthrough national program, please visit https://humanecanada.ca/national-pet-food-bank/
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