Pet food for all - Expanding Community Access

Keeping Bowls Full, Keeping Pets Home

Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) of Alberta operates one of the largest pet food bank programs in Western Canada, providing critical pet food support to communities and organizations across Alberta. Each year, we distribute approximately 80,000 pounds of pet food to First Nations communities, social service organizations, community food pantries, and animal welfare organizations.

Our current model allows us to make a significant impact across the province, but there is a gap we are not yet able to address: individual families who are struggling to afford food for their pets cannot currently access our pet food bank directly. At this time, our capacity allows us to distribute food through organizations and community partners, rather than opening our doors to the public.

We are seeking funding to expand our capacity and establish a direct-access component of our pet food bank. This would allow low-income individuals, seniors, families experiencing financial hardship, and others facing temporary challenges to access pet food directly from ARF.

For many families, the cost of feeding a pet can become an unexpected financial burden. When people are forced to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their animals, some may feel they have no option but to surrender a beloved pet. Providing access to food at the right time can help prevent that crisis.

This project is about more than filling food bowls. It is about keeping pets where they belong at home with the people who love them.

Funding would help us prepare our facility and operations for public access, including creating an appropriate distribution area, increasing staffing and volunteer capacity, improving storage and handling systems, and developing an intake process that allows us to identify and respond to other needs when families reach out for support.

By opening our pet food bank to the public, ARF can build on the 80,000 pounds of food we already distribute annually and extend that support directly to the people who need it most. It will also allow us to better understand the barriers families are experiencing and develop partnerships and resources that address those challenges before they result in pet surrender or preventable animal suffering.

Our goal is simple: no family should have to give up a loved pet because they cannot afford to keep their bowl full.

The primary beneficiaries of this project will be individuals and families experiencing financial hardship who are struggling to provide food for their pets. This may include low-income families, seniors, individuals experiencing housing instability, people facing unexpected financial challenges, and families accessing social services.

For many people, a pet is much more than a companion. Pets provide comfort, routine, emotional support, security and a sense of connection. When a family is already experiencing financial or personal hardship, losing a pet can create another significant emotional and practical crisis. By providing access to pet food, we can help remove one immediate financial barrier and give families the ability to keep their pets safely at home.

The impact will extend well beyond the individual receiving food. Our pet food bank already supports a broad network of organizations, including First Nations communities, social service agencies, community food pantries and animal welfare organizations. Expanding direct public access will allow us to support individuals who may not currently be connected to one of these agencies, while continuing to strengthen our existing community partnerships.

This project will also benefit agencies working with people experiencing complex circumstances. Pet food support can be an important additional resource for organizations supporting mental health, domestic violence, family health, housing insecurity and financial hardship. A person may be seeking help from one of these services and be unable to move forward because they are worried about what will happen to their pet. Providing food can help remove that barrier.

Ultimately, the beneficiaries are both people and animals. The project will help families maintain an important relationship during difficult circumstances, reduce the likelihood of pets being surrendered because of financial hardship, and ensure that animals continue to receive the food and care they need.

Our goal is to make pet food support another accessible piece of the community safety net recognizing that when we support the wellbeing of people, we also need to consider the animals who are an important part of their families.