Nikki Marchant-Ludlow set up the Paws of Hope charity so families can collect cartons of pet food from their local food bank when times are tough.
Northlanders struggling with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis will soon be able to feed their pets along with their families when they visit food banks across the region.
The recently established new charity, Paws of Hope, is dedicated solely to providing free emergency pet food for people who are struggling to feed their dogs and cats.
Paws of Hope founder Nikki Marchant-Ludlow said the charity, which was registered in October, was set up to ensure animals don’t miss out on food or have to be re-homed due to financial hardship.
The foundation will work alongside food banks to provide ongoing support to pet-owning families.
Marchant-Ludlow said increasing numbers of New Zealanders were facing financial hardship and food shortages.
“Things are getting more expensive,” he said.
“There are often times when people need that help.
“It could be due to several reasons; finances were tight at that particular time … it was hard for a lot of people.
“When people get their food from a food bank, there is no pet food option.
“It’s about providing continuous stock [to food banks] so they don’t have to worry about it.”
In Aotearoa, 64 percent of households have at least one pet and research shows more than three-quarters consider their dogs and cats to be members of the family.
However, the rising cost of living over the past few years has seen an increasing number of pets rehomed or surrendered to shelters that are already at capacity.
Marchant-Ludlow is a former program manager for Pet Refuge NZ, a shelter that cares for the animals of victims of domestic violence.
She said her “lightbulb moment” for Paws of Hope came after reading an article about pet owners putting feeding their pets before themselves during tough economic times .
“When you have to consider whether I’m feeding my pet or feeding myself, research has shown that they’ll feed their pet first because they can’t explain to their dog why they’re missing food.
“Or people need to consider giving up their pet.
“People are surprised at how many people live in their cars or struggle to support themselves day to day with the basics of living.”
While the cost-of-living crisis faded from the headlines, food price inflation returned in January with Stats NZ recently reporting that monthly food prices rose by 0.9 per cent.
The biggest contributors to the increase were grocery food, driven by prices for boxed chocolates, two-liter cartons of milk, fresh eggs (excluding free-range eggs), apples, and sheep.
Marchant-Ludlow said the charity buys 1kg packets of food directly from Animals Like Us, a premium dog and cat food company made in New Zealand.
Funding comes from donors and grants, and food banks are encouraged to contact the charity about their requirements.
The charity has just completed a successful pilot with the Good Works Trust on Auckland’s North Shore and Cambridge Community House.
Marchant-Ludlow acknowledged that the Northland was “another key area” and would be approaching food banks in the region to see if they wanted to come on board within the next month.
“It’s not just a one-off,” he said.
“The plan is to provide consistent supply to organizations with a national reach.
“We’ll provide the same high-quality food so organizations know what they’re getting in practical bag sizes suitable for people living in cars or places with limited storage.”
155 Open Arms chief executive Liz Cassidy-Nelson said that while Open Arms supplied pet food to the family through its social supermarket and food bank services, she welcomed the additional support from the new charity.
“Dog and pet food support is greatly appreciated by families who come to our services.
“Our animals are members of our family.
“That’s a really cool initiative and we’re going to support it as well.”
Marchant-Ludlow said the charity “want to help as many foodbanks and community service providers as possible”.
“If we can continue to provide six foodbanks and community services providing wrap-around services across New Zealand by October, that will be great.
“We are only limited by the donations we receive.”
To find out more, visit www.pawsofhope.org.nz
Jenny Ling is a news reporter and feature writer for the Northern Advocate. He has a special interest in covering road, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.
