B.C. SPCA sounding alarm as pet food donations dry up amid affordability crisis

The B.C. SPCA says British Columbia’s affordability crisis is pushing more pet owners to rely on pet food banks, just as donations are drying up.

The organization says its pet food bank program has already helped more than 17,000 pets across the province since January, but demand is now outpacing supply.

“We’re seeing more and more people access these food bank services, and not the stereotypical folks that you would think are accessing community services like food banks,” said Diane Waters, a community services specialist with the B.C. SPCA.

Waters says Victoria has become one of the organization’s busiest hubs for pet food support, alongside areas like Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

“Victoria is one of our hotspots for community services like Pet Food Bank because it is in such a central area, and this is super common with the SPCA,” she said.

The pressure comes as inflation continues to drive up the cost of pet ownership, from food to veterinary care.

“So any extra savings that people are having are going to these emergency surgeries or other costs involved with owning a pet or just being alive today and in our community,” Waters said.

She says rising costs are also affecting longtime donors.

“I do think that the people who have previously been donating may be slowing down on donations,” Waters said. “I think a lot of that is truly because people can’t afford to donate money as much anymore. There’s so much to afford. Gas is climbing; housing is impossible to find.”

The organization says the situation has become so severe it is now spending money directly on pet food purchases to keep shelves stocked.

“In the last two years, I didn’t have to purchase any pet food to supply our province with the food they needed,” Waters said.

“And this year I spent $11,000 of our budget to be able to support the clients and the community through December with pet food. So that is a huge and scary jump.”

The affordability crisis is also contributing to an increase in pet surrenders across the province.

“There definitely is a rise in surrenders,” Waters said. “A lot of it is the lack of pet-friendly housing in our community.”

She says renters with pets are increasingly finding themselves with nowhere to go.

“If you’re moving, if you’re a renter, you have very few rights in owning a pet and trying to find a new place,” she said. “It’s impossible.”

Waters says the B.C. SPCA’s pet food bank program is now in urgent need of support provincewide.

“And this is across the province, not just on the island, not just in the lower mainland. We’re seeing the need rise everywhere,” she said.

The organization is encouraging people to donate unopened pet food, cat litter, and specialty diets at local B.C. SPCA branches or through online wish lists shared on social media.