Pet owners juggling their finances amidst the cost of living crisis will soon be able to get assistance from a new food bank designed specifically to provide urgent care for pets.
The number of abandoned animals is at an all time high, with some people unable to feed their animals because of financial pressures.
Last winter the RSPCA saw a 30% rise in pet abandonments in the wake of the Covid crisis. However, the charity expects these figures to be dwarfed over the coming winter as families struggle to pay bills and keep food on the table.
People needing help with vet bills is also rising sharply and the RSPCA is becoming increasingly alarmed at reports of people trying to treat their pets at home. In the year to January 2022, monthly Google searches for “Can I give my dog paracetamol” soared 260% to 14,600.
In response to this unfolding crisis, a Welsh animal lover is focusing on helping pet owners who are struggling to even feed their beloved animals.
According to an article recently published online by Welsh news outlet the Daily Record, ITU nurse Mel Oldfield, 48, was so moved by harrowing stories of overflowing rescue centres that she decided to an open a foodbank offering free dog meat and dry feed.
“Within 48 hours of starting a Facebook site, I was contacted by two owners who were desperate. They were literally on the verge of having to give up their dogs,” comments Ms Oldfield, who hails from the Welsh county of Flintshire.
“Although I’m still setting everything up, I was able to supply each of them with two weeks’ worth of feed. It will enable them to keep their dogs for the time being.”
Mel’s PET Foodbank (Pets Eat Today) will be based in a building behind the White Bear pub in Mancot, near her home, according to NorthWalesLive. It will open twice a week between 1pm-2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting from August 23.
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Cover image courtesy of Flickr user Lisa Zins under license Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
