The RSPCA has expanded its food bank partnership to cover nearly the whole of Lancashire as well as new plans to include parts of Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside.
In November, Deputy Chief Inspector Alison Fletcher, who works in Lancashire, decided to link up with food banks in the area to provide them with pet food for owners who were struggling to make ends meet. Starting with five areas across Lancashire, the scheme now includes 11 food banks covering almost the whole of the county.
Alison said: “We are absolutely thrilled with how well this project is going and how responsive the food banks have been in helping provide people with pet food…
“We know just how important our pets are to us. They really do become part of the family but sadly, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic we are seeing more families being unable to afford to provide for their pets.
TOUGH TIMES
“Many people are experiencing tough times at the moment and the last thing we want is for a loving owner to have to give up their companion and real source of comfort, so we set up this scheme in the hope that we could provide as much pet food as possible and keep families and their pets together.”
Over the last few months, the RSPCA has been able to donate 3,500kg of pet food to food banks in Lancashire.
Pet food brand Purina has donated six pallets of cat food to the project, meaning Alison and her colleagues have been able to provide even more pet food for those who need it.
Ellen Camillin, senior corporate development manager at the RSPCA, said: “We’d like to thank Purina for their support on this project. They have provided vital cat food to help the project get off the ground and ensure that pet owners who are struggling have access to the food their cat needs. By having businesses like Purina on board it means we can hope to reach even more pets and are now looking to expand the project.”
Food bank Inspector Susie Micallef delivering Purina donation in the January food bank run
