Kaitāia latest centre for new charity Paws of Hope set-up to feed pets

Paws of Hope founder Nikki Marchant-Ludlow is expanding the service - which provides pet food for people struggling to feed their animals - into Kaitāia and surrounds.

A new charity supporting Northlanders struggling to feed their pets and their families has expanded into Kaitāia and surrounds.

Paws of Hope, set up by Nikki Marchant-Ludlow, has teamed up with the Far North Community Foodbank in Kaitāia to expand its services into the Far North.

The foodbank is the first recipient in Northland to receive pet food, so that when people in need receive food for their whānau, it will also include pet food.

Forty bags of good quality pet food have arrived and the newly formed charity behind it, Paws of Hope, is sending a one-off delivery to another Northland charity which it hopes to make regular if more donations come in.

Paws of Hope is dedicated solely to providing free emergency pet food for people who are struggling to feed their dogs and cats.

Marchant-Ludlow said the charity, registered last October, was set up to ensure animals don’t miss out on meals or have to be re-homed because of financial hardship. The foundation will work alongside food banks to provide ongoing support to pet-owning families.

Marchant-Ludlow said Northland is “a key area” of need targeted by Paws of Hope.

“The plan is to provide consistent supply to organisations with a national reach. We will provide the same high-quality food so that organisations know what they are getting in practical bag sizes that work for people living in cars or places with limited storage.”.

Far North Community Foodbank has been serving the community of the Far North for 23 years including through lockdowns and the pandemic, weather events and now, the cost-of-living crisis.

Marchant-Ludlow said 64 per cent of households have at least one pet and research shows over three quarters consider their dogs and cats to be cherished family members.

However, the cost of living crisis has seen more and more pets being rehomed or surrendered to shelters already at capacity for a number of reasons including people no longer able to afford to feed them. Some of these people are living in emergency housing or even cars.

The foundation has just completed a successful pilot with the Good Works Trust on Auckland’s North Shore and Cambridge Community House, which proved the need and Paws of Hope is now ready to expand.

Marchant-Ludlow said her lightbulb moment for Paws of Hope came after reading an article that highlighted some pet owners are actually prioritising feeding their pets over themselves, in tough economic times.

“Food intended for families was being given to pets meaning the family was missing out on meals. This means that families are not getting adequate nutrition and the pets are also getting the wrong nutrition which may have other health implications down the track.”

After reading the article she set out to find out more about the issue and saw the gap - the need to offer consistency in supply and quality for pets that need it most.

“We would love to help as many foodbanks and community service providers as possible. If we could consistently supply six foodbanks and community services that provide wrap-around services across NZ by October that would be great. We are only limited by donations we receive. We have the potential to reach so many more but with contributions and grants we could help many more.

“The plan is to provide consistent supply to organisations - with a national reach. We will provide the same high-quality food so that organisations know what they are getting in practical bag sizes that work for people living in cars or places with limited storage. Foodbanks can become a one-stop ‘shop’ if people can tick a box to say they have a pet they can meet all the family needs - this helps both the family and the agency they may be working with.”

To learn more about Paws of Hope go to https://pawsofhope.org.nz/ or the Trust at https://www.farnorthcommunityfoodbank.com/.