Anglicare’s Emergency Food Relief teams help families care for their beloved pets

The benefits of pet ownership are well known. Pets can increase physical and mental wellbeing and reduce loneliness, isolation and stress. For families and individuals experiencing financial crisis, these benefits are absolutely critical.

Unfortunately, the same cost-of-living pressures that make it difficult for families to put food on the table, make family pets vulnerable to abandonment or poor health. The RSPCA continues to report elevated numbers of animals being surrendered, often by families who feel they have no other choice.

Anglicare Emergency Food Relief teams have seen first-hand the importance of family pets to those experiencing financial difficulty and are dedicated to helping them feed and care for their furry companions. “For many of our clients, just like for me, pets are part of the family”, said Doris, a volunteer at Anglicare’s Arawang Emergency Relief Hub. “To be able to feed and nourish a pet is as important to our clients as feeding themselves and their families.”

Recognising the significance and regularity of the demand for pet food among clients, the Arawang team now track the number of pets they assist, along with people. The results are significant. In 2024, the Arawang team supported 1601 adults, 627 children, 351 cats and 474 dogs!

Doris recalls the story of just one of these animal companions: “A homeless client came to us. He was living with his dog in a converted van because his rent had kept rising and he just couldn’t afford it. He had turned down accommodation options because they wouldn’t let him take his dog. We assisted him with food and other essentials, including dog food. Through this process we were able to chat to him about his circumstances and give him contact details for other services to assist him.”

Having pet food available at our Emergency Relief Hubs, like the one in Arawang and at our Gordon Community Centre in Canberra’s south, is not always easy, but thanks to some key relationships in the community we are generally able to source a basic supply.

One of these key relationships is with Veterinarian Louise Nicholls, partner at Queanbeyan Veterinary Hospital. Through her professional connections with suppliers, Louise rescues pet food that would otherwise end up in a landfill and donates it to Anglicare. We are also lucky to be connected with Oz Harvest, who regularly donates non-perishable food items to our emergency relief teams, and also donates pet food when it is available.

Another essential relationship our teams have fostered on behalf of vulnerable pet owners is with ACT Pet Crisis Support’s Tiny Vet Clinic. This volunteer-run initiative provides mobile veterinary services to pet owners experiencing financial hardship. Once a month, the Tiny Vet Clinic parks at Arawang Anglican Church, an Anglicare partner, so that clients from around the area can access pet care, free of charge.

Rose Flintoft, Gordon Community Centre Coordinator, sees pet support as an essential for some of our most vulnerable clients, “For individuals living rough, or struggling with housing instability, isolation is a huge concern. Their pet may be their only companion, and is intrinsic to their wellbeing, which is why supporting clients to look after their pets is so important.”

Visit our Emergency Food Relief page to learn more or click donate to support us in our efforts to relieve suffering in our communities.