Community pet food donation point at Pets at Home

In partnership with national pet charity Blue Cross, Pets at Home is seeking donations of dog, cat, puppy and kitten food, as well as food for small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters

The Rochdale Pets at Home branch is one of 10 across Greater Manchester now providing a community food donation point to help support pets and owners as the cost of living continues to challenge households across the UK. 

Ten Pets at Home stores in the region now have a community collection point for those who wish to donate pet food to owners in need. 

In partnership with national pet charity Blue Cross, Pets at Home is seeking donations of dog, cat, puppy and kitten food, as well as food for small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters.

This will then be collected and distributed by Blue Cross to local food banks. 

The donation points will be rolled out to all 450 plus Pets at Home stores by June and will be kept in place for as long as they are needed. 

The pet care specialist is also supporting the scheme by providing Blue Cross with a monthly supply of vouchers to allow them to supplement customer contributions based on the individual requirements of local food banks.

The initiative coincides with Pets at Home’s ongoing partnership with the charity, which has seen Blue Cross receive over £470,000 from its VIP Lifelines scheme over the last decade.

Lyssa McGowan, Pets at Home chief executive officer, said: “As the UK continues to experience a rapid rise in the cost of living, we know that pet owners will do everything they can to ensure their pets don’t miss out, but we also understand that some owners may be facing difficult choices as their finances become stretched. 

“Blue Cross and Pets at Home believe no-one should have to face the difficulty of struggling to feed their beloved pets, and we know that our customers are keen to help out wherever they can. This is why we are joining forces to install pet food donation points across all Pets at Home stores, working together to make sure no pet goes hungry.”

Chris Burghes, chief executive officer at Blue Cross, said: “Pets are part of the family and we’re really proud to have partnered with Pets at Home on this scheme to have a positive impact on the local community in Greater Manchester.”