Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Battersea, and Cats Protection are working together with industry body UK Pet Food to secure food from pet food manufacturers, which is then distributed all over the UK through FareShare, the UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and food waste.
This initiative has been made possible thanks to Petplan, the UK’s no.1 pet insurer, covering the cost of distributing food to pets in need.
The alliance will help redistribute pet food to FareShare’s network of 9,500 charities which, as well as providing food banks, also provide wraparound services that help tackle the root causes of poverty, including homelessness shelters, women’s refuge centres, older people’s lunch clubs and after school clubs. This pet food will help owners most impacted by the cost of living crisis.
To date, the programme has received 43,621 kilograms of pet food, the equivalent of over 304,000 meals for hungry pets across the UK, who might not otherwise have been fed a proper meal that day.
Paul & Lucky
Paul, 55, from Preston in Lancashire, has had eight-year-old cat Lucky since she was a kitten. He started using the local food bank in the town in 2020 and also volunteers to help with deliveries.
“The food bank makes a huge difference to my life as my food and pet food keeps going up in cost,” he said. “Getting food from the food bank means we have enough for both of us and I don’t have to choose between cat food and my own food.
“The cost of living has made life much harder. I’ve never considered giving Lucky up as she is my life, my family; she is my sole source of company. It doesn’t matter what happens in life, we will always be together.
“The staff and volunteers at the food bank are all fabulous and the help I get from them means a lot to me and Lucky.”
If you are struggling to take care of your cat during the cost of living crisis, Cats Protection have put together information of the support available.
