The Petstock Foundation has partnered with the New Zealand Food Network to help provide relief to struggling families amid the cost-of-living crisis. Photo / Fiona Goodall
The Petstock Foundation has partnered with the New Zealand Food Network to help provide relief to struggling families amid the cost-of-living crisis. Photo / Fiona Goodall
With the cost of living rising, it’s claimed that Kiwi pet owners facing hardship are being forced to choose between feeding themselves or their pets.
Studies show nearly two-thirds of New Zealand households own a pet. The number is higher for households with children, at up to 71%.
The NewPlymouth Food Bank said, “When there isn’t enough pet food, owners often share or sacrifice their meals to ensure their pets are fed as they do with their children.”
The City Mission in Whanganui said it found that, if a household had a sick pet needing veterinary care, the cost of the bill often meant the owners had to go without food.
The reply was much the same at Waitara Foodbank, which had seen a rise in people asking for dog food.
“It is almost more of a priority than their own food,” said spokeswoman Amy Olson.
“We only have a limited spend when it comes to pet food at the foodbank, but a large percentage of parcel receivers have pets.
“And while some people find it is easy to say, ‘How can they afford to have a pet when they haven’t enough food for themselves?’, sometimes circumstances change.
“A job could be lost, accommodation increases and these animals are their family.”
While each parcel recipient needing pet food will receive an ice cream container of dry pet food. The food bank was lucky to have a local butcher who would pass on bones to help with the demand for pet food.
“We have been so desperate for pet food that we did a call-out on Facebook,” Olson said.
“A local business, Primo Wireless, came to the rescue with 10 x 25kg of dog biscuits that we are extremely grateful for.”
Buddy standing proudly with the donation from his owners, Jasmine and Matt from Primo Wireless. Photo / Waitara Foodbank Facebook page
SPCA Hawke’s Bay centre manager Tamra Hay said, “As a result of the cost-of-living crisis, there is a continual rise in requests from people wanting to surrender their animals to the SPCA, and an alarming number of animals are being abandoned at their gates.”
Many of the food hubs that receive stock from the New Zealand Food Network say they regularly see people prioritise feeding their pets over themselves as budgets stretch thin.
The Petstock Foundation has partnered with the network to help provide relief to struggling families amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Throughout August, the Petstock Foundation’s commitment is to raise $100,000 across Australia and New Zealand, to go towards supplying pet food to families in need.
