There are food banks all over the province, but what is less known is that there are also pet food banks. That’s thanks to a program from the SaskSPCA. Spokesman Josh Hourie explained that the program was launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic, understanding that if people are struggling to feed their families, they are also struggling to pay for food for their pets. The need did not end with the pandemic, so the decision was made to continue and grow the program.
Hourie said there are currently 20 distribution locations in 15 communities across the province. The SaskSPCA Pet Food Bank operates in Carlyle, Foam Lake, Fort Qu’Appelle, Ile-a-la-Crosse, Maple Creek, Martensville, Meadow Lake, Melville, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, Prince Albert, Rosthern, Saskatoon, and Rapid Current. He added, “In 2023 alone, we provided food for over 4,300 animals here in Saskatchewan. That’s 58,000 pounds of food that we distributed.”
One of the challenges for the SaskSPCA is finding space to store the pet food before it is distributed. Until now, local businesses have helped out with temporary storage space.
That’s where PetSmart Charities of Canada comes in. They provide a one-time $30,000 grant to help with warehouse rent and other expenses. Funding is also being used to create educational pet health flyers developed in collaboration with a local veterinarian, which are distributed with the food, and each provide basic information on things such as signs of disease, microchipping, dental health, vaccinations, and spaying and neutering.
Hourie also thanked Mars Canada for its recent donation of 30,000 pounds of pet food, stressing that donations of any size are always welcome. Click here for more information.
