MSPCA and the Foodbank Lifeline Foundation are looking for sponsors for an initiative they launched this year that helps prevent pet abandonment due to financial constraints faced by pet owners.
The foodbank, which started operating nearly 10 years ago from St Andrews’ Scots Church, in Valletta has grown into a foundation that provides food for a few weeks to hundreds of families temporarily facing a crisis.
Clients are vetted and referred to the foodbank by professionals, while the food items are donated by members of the public and private entities and the foundation feeds between 250 and 300 families a week.
Around 60 per cent of the people visiting the foundation’s Marsa hub own pets. When pet owners find themselves unable to cope with basic necessities, they share what little food they have with their beloved animals – sometimes prioritising their furry friends’ nutrition over theirs, risking malnutrition.
Others give up their pets for adoption.
And that is why MSPCA earlier this year joined forces with petfood supplier M&Z plc to help feed pets of people who are supported by the Foodbank Lifeline.
However, MSPCA and the Foodbank Lifeline Foundation are now looking into making this initiative sustainable in the longterm.
MSPCA told Times of Malta the NGO is looking for sponsors tht can provide essential resources such as pet food and veterinary care to help alleviate the immediate needs of animals while promoting responsible pet ownership.
Organisations or individuals wishing to support MSPCA, collaborate or donate can get in touch on petfoodbank@maltaspca.org. More information here.