April 10, 2020
The agency responsible for animal welfare in British Columbia is making an urgent appeal for pet food donations to help vulnerable pet guardians during the COVID-19 crisis.
The BC SPCA says it isn’t just families affected by the virus; it’s their pets too, and assistance is needed for thousands of cats and dogs in the province.
While the agency already offers pet food banks, free vet clinics, and other programs during the year to support struggling pet parents, the need right now is “extraordinary,” says Marieke van der Velden, outreach specialist for the BC SPCA.
With more and more families impacted by illness, unprecedented job loss, plus economic and housing instability, there is a higher likelihood that people will be forced to give up their pets if they can’t be supported.
Donations can be made either by drop-off at any of the province’s 36 branches or by online delivery. The items will be distributed to pets in need in the community through staff, volunteers, and community partners.
The animal welfare agency has instituted new protocols for its pet food banks to ensure social distancing and biosecurity measures are in place.
van der Velden hopes the extra support will mean fewer British Columbians will have to give up their pets during a time where the emotional support they provide is more needed than ever.
“Animals are such an important part of our lives, and we want to do everything we can to keep people and pets together,” she says.
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]
