Scarborough Gets Foodbank for Pets

Wednesday, 23 August 2023 06:00

By Matthew Pells

The RSPCA have teamed up with the Rainbow Centre to deliver the initiative in response to the cost of living crisis.

The animal welfare charity set-up its Pet Food Bank Project with its first base in Lancashire in December 2020 as a result of financial pressures during the pandemic.

The service - in which RSPCA branches and frontline staff work with local food banks - has seen demand soar since its introduction due to the cost of living crisis.

RSPCA inspector Laura Barber is coordinating the scheme.

The scheme now covers all regions in the North of England with more than 100 pet food banks serving communities in need.The Pets at Home Foundation is kindly supporting the scheme and has given a generous donation of £160,000 this year to help.

RSPCA inspector Laura Barber says the idea is to look after the wellbeing of both the pet and the owner.

Mark Hardy, manager at the Rainbow Centre , said:

“We get a lot of people in need of food and clothes as they have fallen on hard times. Often they would ask for pet food which we didn’t always have in stock - but now thanks to the partnership with the RSPCA we can help pet owners in need.”

Paul Creelman (MBE), a client support worker at the centre, said:

“We have seen demand for our service really increase with the cost-of-living crisis. We get a lot of homeless people who come to us for help. Sadly, often they are homeless because they are not allowed to have pets in their rented properties and they don’t want to be separated from them so they live on the streets.”

One woman, who uses the food bank, said:

“I have a dog aged 15 and a cat aged 8. I have mental health issues so have always struggled financially, but my pets really are the reason I keep going.

“I live alone, but they are my family - they come to greet me when I come home and keep me company all the time. I have struggled to feed them in the past and would go without myself to make sure they didn’t go hungry. Being able to get help from this centre has made a real positive difference to me and my pets.”

The RSPCA has sadly seen a reduction in the number of pets being rehomed; and an increase in animal intake via the frontline inspectorate. Worryingly, the animal welfare charity fears many of the animals being picked up by their officers are linked to the cost of living crisis - particularly abandoned animals.

Nationwide, the charity has committed an extra £1.5 million of funding for crisis measures such as it’s Pet Food Bank Partnership and has created a dedicated Cost of Living Hub with practical help and advice on the charity’s website and has a telephone helpline to support callers who are worried about the cost of living crisis - 0300 123 0650 - open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. The hub also features an interactive map updated with new partner food banks regularly so people can check back for food banks in their area..

The measures come following a recent survey of RSPCA workers which found almost 50% said most of the pet owners they deal with love their animals, but simply can’t afford them, while 80% reported seeing animals who are suffering as a result of the cost of living crisis.

The RSPCA also runs Community Paws events which offer face to face community meetups in which mobile veterinary clinics are run for pet health checks and food provisions are made to those in need. They plan to run one in the North/East Yorkshire area during the coming months.