Pet food charity joins foodbank Paws of Hope has teamed up with the Far North Community Foodbank in Kaitāia to expand its services into the Far North

• Published date: 16 April 2024
• Publication title: Northland Age, The

Paws of Hope, set up by Nikki Marchant-Ludlow, has teamed up with the Far North Community Foodbank in Kaitāia to bring its services into the Far North

The foodbank is the first recipient in Northland to receive pet food, so that when people in need receive food for their whānau, it will also include pet food.

Forty bags of quality pet food have arrived and the newly-formed charity behind it, Paws of Hope, is sending a one-off delivery to another Northland charity which it hopes to make regular if more donations come in.

Paws of Hope is dedicated solely to providing free emergency pet food for people who are struggling to feed their dogs and cats.

Marchant-Ludlow said the charity, registered last October, was set up to ensure animals don’t miss out on meals or have to be re-homed because of financial hardship. The foundation will work alongside food banks to provide ongoing support to pet-owning families.

Marchant-Ludlow said Northland is “a key area” of need targeted by Paws of Hope.

“The plan is to provide consistent supply to organisations with a national reach. We will provide the same high-quality food so that organisations know what they are getting in practical bag sizes that work for people living in cars or places with limited storage.”.

Far North Community Foodbank has been serving the community of the Far North for 23 years including through lockdowns and the pandemic, weather events and now, the cost-of-living crisis.

Marchant-Ludlow said 64 per cent of households have at least one pet and research shows over three quarters consider their dogs and cats to be cherished family members.

However, the cost of living crisis has seen more and more pets being rehomed or surrendered to shelters already at capacity for a number of reasons including people no longer able to afford to feed them. Some of these people are living in emergency housing or even cars.

The foundation has just...