PetSmart Charities® of Canada has announced a $55,000 grant for the BC SPCA’s pet food bank outreach program, which provides support for pet guardians in need across B.C. This new grant is in addition to a $15,000 outreach grant provided by PetSmart Charities® of Canada earlier this year.
“The BC SPCA has always operated pet food banks for individuals who may need a little extra help to keep their animals fed and healthy,” says the society’s chief prevention and enforcement officer, Marcie Moriarty. But the number of pet guardians needing help skyrocketed during the COVID-19 crisis, as individuals were impacted by job loss and other financial stresses. “We were able to ramp up our outreach programs very quickly to address the growing need, expanding the number of SPCA pet food bank programs right across the province,” says Moriarty. “Sadly, we were seeing cases where people felt they had no option but to surrender a beloved pet to the SPCA because they were struggling financially. We wanted to do everything in our power to support these people so that they would not have to make such an agonizing choice. Our goal is to keep families and their pets together.” She adds that the companionship of animals has been more important than ever for many people during long periods of self-isolation.
The PetSmart Charities of Canada grant will enable the BC SPCA to expand its COVID-19 outreach response even further for at-risk and financially insecure individuals. “We are so grateful to PetSmart Charities® of Canada for their support, which will make a life-changing difference for so many families and their pets,” says Moriarty. “The BC SPCA is always a safety net for animals if their owners can no longer look after them, but our goal is always to help keep animals in loving homes, and PetSmart Charities® of Canada is helping to make this possible.”
“We remain committed to supporting to pets and people who love them during this unprecedented time, and our hearts go out to those affected by COVID-19,” said Dani LaGiglia, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities® of Canada. “We’re proud to support this work to keep B.C. pets in the arms of those who love them, especially during the uncertainty of this pandemic.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the BC SPCA has distributed 21,484 kilograms of dry dog food, 6,965 kilograms of dry cat food, 5,969 cans of dog food, 13,797 cans of cat food, as well as 3,530 kilograms of cat litter to pet guardians in communities across B.C.