Visits to the Winnipeg Humane Society's pet food bank more than tripled last month compared to April.
The food bank had 88 appointments in April and 301 in October. The Humane Society launched its first-ever pet basket drive for the holidays to support its food bank after a 242 percent increase in demand.
The organization wants to give away at least 100 hampers – half for dogs and half for cats – to help ease the financial pressure many people face during the holiday season. A list of desired items such as food, toys and treats can be found at wfp.to/pethamper.
“Everything costs more these days, including caring for your pet. No one should have to choose between feeding themselves or their pet,” Kendra Galbraith, the society's outreach manager, said in a press release Wednesday.
Donations for the hamper will be accepted at 45 Hurst Way until December 3rd. People can make a financial donation to the food bank at: wfp.to/whsdonate. The hampers will be distributed at the West End Resource Center from 3pm to 4pm on December 16th.
The Humane Society last year added additional locations at the resource center and the North Point Douglas Women's Center to improve access to its food bank and also hosted pop-up food banks. Food banks are also intended to reduce the number of animals given to the humane society.
