Wishbone Pet Food’s donation to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) International will provide over 14,300 meals for animal shelters in need.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, animal shelters around the world are struggling to supply the volume of pet food they need to feed the animals in their care during this extended crisis–facing shortages, shipping delays, and high numbers of abandoned pets. Wishbone Pet Food, one of the largest New Zealand-based pet food manufacturers, today announced that it will donate 7,800 meals for dogs, and 6,500 meals for cats to SPCA International (SPCA).
“Because pets are family, Wishbone is dedicated to providing dogs and cats around the world with highly nutritious food from New Zealand. With so many animals in need during these uncertain times, we are honored to partner with SPCA International to ensure homeless dogs and cats are not overlooked,” said Warren Rickard, President of Wishbone-USA.
An international animal welfare organization, SPCA International will arrange for the shipment and delivery of the pet food to shelters in need in the U.S. and Canada. Wishbone Foods’ donation – totaling more than 5,000 pounds of pet food and with a value of over $20,000 – marks the largest pet food donation SPCA International has received in its history.
Meredith Ayan, Executive Director of SPCA International, said, “We are so thrilled to receive this extraordinarily generous donation from Wishbone Pet Food. These meals for dogs and cats will provide vital relief for organizations in desperate need of it in the U.S. and Canada. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted animal shelters around the world, and we thank Wishbone for allowing us to help so many homeless pets at this time.”
SPCA International will be distributing Wishbone’s donation of 14,300 meals to dogs and cats in need in Michigan, New York, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Recipient organizations are Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG), SPCA Ouest, Putnam County SPCA, and Healing Animal Scars (HAS). They are all experiencing financial strain from the coronavirus economic shutdown and a decrease in volunteerism due to social distancing requirements. The food donations will allow these shelters to save the cash they have on hand for emergency veterinary care and to purchase other critical supplies.
“We’re very excited to have help in this intense time and are so grateful to Wishbone Food and SPCA International for making this possible. As we struggle to pay our employees as local businesses shut down, we have desperately needed food and supplies to keep ensure our animals stay safe and well during this pandemic. This donation is a huge help,” said Kelley LaBonty, Executive Director of DAWG. DAWG has over 150 animals in its care. In addition to this sizeable donation of pet food, DAWG will receive a grant from SPCA International to support the needs of its animals during the coronavirus crisis.
“With the 24 dogs and 55 cats we still have in the shelter and the heavy veterinarian restrictions the government imposed on us, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We need to keep caring for these animals, have no vetting available, and donations and revenue have now reached a new low. This food donation will most definitely help. Thank you,” said Remi Brazeau, Executive Director of SPCA Ouest. SPCA Ouest serves the animals west of Montreal, Quebec. They pride themselves on being a no-kill shelter that accepts all surrenders and rescues in need.
The other two recipients are SPCA Putnam County and Healing Animal Scars. SPCA Putnam Country is responsible for enforcing animal cruelty laws and housing animals seized from unfit living conditions and community education in Putnam County, NY. Healing Animal Scars is a foster-based cat rescue in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia dedicated to saving stray cats and matching them with the best forever homes.
With many cities having issued shelter-In-place orders, including Seattle, home to Wishbone’s U.S. Headquarters, Wishbone is determined to keep pets around the country safe and healthy. SPCA International is part of a growing list of nonprofit organizations Wishbone supports, including Marley’s Mutts, the Labelle Foundation, and numerous other pet rescue and foster groups.
SPCA International is funding emergency grants for numerous animal shelters around the world affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit https://www.spcai.org/news/press/covid-19-animals-in-urgent-need-in-heavily-affected-areas.
Wishbone Pet Food continues its operations during this period, with production under strict safety controls. Rest assured that our pet food products will be available online and at your favorite pet food stores. We are more than happy to do our share of helping out, especially in times like this.
To view our New Zealand-made pet food products, visit https://wishbonepet.com.
Recent Comments