Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home (EDCH) have spoken of how the cost of living crisis is driving many pet owners to the point of desperation.
In 2019 the charity was the first organisation in Scotland to kick off the idea of supplying items to food banks across the Eastern Central Belt. They found that staff members who volunteered at food banks had discovered that pet owners were using their own packages to share with their pets.
In the beginning they supplied a handful of food banks with dry food and treats but within months their services were being required at over 22 centres across Edinburgh and the Lothians. As of today, they are now supplying 64 food banks from Edinburgh and the Lothians down to the Borders.
READ MORE: Edinburgh business owner angered by continuous council roadworks in West End
They say that the current cost of living crisis is immensely difficult for owners and their pets, and that their goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, can provide for their furry family members.
In January, the charity provided 19,855 meals for pets but that number has now increased to 32,070 meals. The organisation estimates that over the last eight months they have provided up to £70,000 worth of bedding, toys, coats, treats, collars, leads and food.
As well as providing vital supplies for struggling owners, EDCH have also set up fitting services for things like collars and winter coats at various food banks. They also send out staff to help food bank volunteers to understand how much food is needed for small, medium and large dogs.
However they have said that none of this would have been possible if it were not for partnerships with organisations such as Amazon and other major retailers. As well as this, donations from the public have been astronomical and have helped keep pets with their loving forever homes.
On helping thousands of pets a week, a spokesperson for EDCH said: “People do not appreciate how this cost of living crisis is damaging pets and their owners. Owning a pet is good for your physical and mental health.
“This has been eroded and taken away from people who cannot afford to feed their pets. It is our mantra that everyone deserves to own a pet no matter what their circumstances or income are.
“This is an incredibly fast growing crisis and it is not going to get any easier in the immediate future. We do this as we do not want animals being surrendered because they cannot be fed.
“A year ago we may have received four or five requests a week for surrendering pets. This isn’t entirely down to the cost of living as owners die and some family members put pets into our care.
“But the difficulty with finances for many households is definitely having an impact as we have over 30 requests a week now which are really shocking numbers. As that figure grows it becomes even more heartbreaking.
“When someone surrenders a pet it is not just soul destroying for themselves, but also for our own staff who are working on the frontline, and most importantly the pets themselves. We have been lucky so far as the number of people who come to us to rehome a dog or a cat is still very high.
“But we worry we may get to the stage where we are no longer coping and cannot keep up with the demand for our services.”
You can support the EDCH by visiting their website here.
READ MORE:
Loved up West Lothian couple get engaged 150ft up on top of the Forth Bridge
Edinburgh student sleeps on pals' sofas for three months as she cannot find a flat
Objectors say £3.6m East Lothian golf club expansion will not benefit residents
Awe-inspiring Northern Lights visible above the skies of Scotland this weekend
Edinburgh property: Inside the magnificent townhouse on the market for £1m
