An outdoor food bank for pets is helping southeast Calgary residents struggling with the rising cost of living.
The big red food pantry stands next to the Albert Park Radisson Heights Community Association alongside an existing food bank, and was created to help local people make ends meet and put food on the table.
The community is located west of Forest Lawn and east of Barlow Trail.
The idea's creator, Saeed Hassan, says it could mean the difference between people surrendering their pets to shelters or being able to feed them.
Over the past few years, Hassan and his Love with Humanity Society have set up more than a dozen outdoor food banks and multicultural libraries in the city and nearby communities.
Syed Hassan began building and setting up outdoor food banks through his Love with Humanity organization during the pandemic, and now he's answering a growing number of calls from pet owners for similar services. (Dan McGarvey/CBC)
“It's very helpful and it's available 24/7. People love the idea,” Hassan said.
“With this economy and these hardships, some people are struggling just to put food on the table. They're paying bills, mortgages, rent and everything else. They're also struggling to take care of their pets, which are an important part of our society,” Hassan said.
Debbie Todd, who lives just down the street from the food bank, said she used to pay $50 or $60 for pet food, but now it's about $100.
“The animals are our family and people don't want to give them up. … We realize that in tough times, some people have to give their animals up because they can't afford to feed them,” Todd said.
“It helps to have something in between paychecks,” she says.
Nancy Carney with the Albert Park Radisson Heights Community Association says the new food bank will help local residents and homeless people visiting the area.(Dan McGarvey/CBC)
Some say helping out with food and treats ensures they have the important friendship and emotional support a pet can provide during a difficult time.
“I think the food bank is a good idea because it's easy to run out of money just for groceries and petrol, but when someone is in need, having a companion, even if it's a dog, cat or parrot, can be a huge help,” resident Liam LeBlanc said.
According to the local community association, the food bank also helps homeless people in the area feed their pets.
Liam LeBlanc says pets play an important role in people's lives and can be a great stress reliever for those struggling financially.(Dan McGarvey/CBC)
“This playground and this area is a very active place for pets. We have a lot of homeless people and they have dogs, some of them support animals, so they don't get criticized for, 'Why do you have animals if you can't afford to feed them?' So it's really beneficial to have a resource that people can turn to,” said Nancy Carney, past president of the community association.
“I think it's been a real positive for our area and I'd love to see more of it in the city. It takes a lot of hard work but you can't put a price on the people who stepped up to make this happen,” she said.
Hassan said they have already built and installed a second pet food bank in Whitehorn, in the northeast of the city.
A third film is currently in production.
“We've had a lot of requests from the community. There's a big demand and people love the idea,” he said.
