Continued above-target inflation has put a lot of pressure on us all, so it’s no surprise that pet food donations to the BC SPCA are down.
The nonprofit is asking people to help make up the shortfall by donating unopened pet food, money or their time.
“Pet food means our food pantries are busy and more often than not they're empty than they're full,” Mandy Isaacs with the SPCA told CTV News on Friday.
“So if anyone would like to donate something, that would be great. We just haven't been getting as many donations as we normally would.”
Some pet owners are finding themselves in dire financial circumstances and are giving up their pets.
“We're dealing with a lot of challenges as an organization and pet owners are facing a lot of challenges, so we're seeing an incredible number of dogs being taken into our centre because of people who are losing their homes and in need,” Isaacs said.
The situation is particularly dire in bushfire-affected communities, but local donations in the Lower Mainland are helping.
Animals from these areas are often shipped to Metro Vancouver, where they are loaded onto trucks and sent on the journey home.
“We're sending supplies back,” Isaacs said, “blankets, sheets, towels, food, treats, toys – all of that can travel around the state and get to animals that really need it.”
Besides donating money or food, there are other ways to help through volunteering.
“I would say, 'Just give it a go, you won't regret it,'” said BC SPCA volunteer Caitlin Selinski.
“I thought about it for a few years and finally decided to do it, but I wish I had done it years ago.”
Isaacs said the SPCA's Vancouver shelter will begin recruiting volunteers on its website this week.
The BC SPCA strives to collect 90,000 kilograms of pet food each year, but halfway through the year they've only managed to collect less than a third of that total.
