Cramlington, Berwick and Morpeth branches of Pets at Home set up drop-off points for food donations

Many families are finding it hard to feed themselves, let alone their animals, and kennels across the region are seeing a rise in the number of pets being given up.

The pet food bank initiative has been organised by Pets at Home, and a dozen stores across the North East have set up drop-off points. Locally, they include the Berwick, Cramlington and Morpeth branches.

In partnership with national pet charity Blue Cross, it is appealing for donations of dog, cat, puppy and kitten food, as well as any food for small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters.

The items will then be collected and distributed by Blue Cross to local food banks.

The donation points will be rolled out to all 450 plus Pets at Home stores across the UK by June, and will be kept in place for as long as they are needed.

Lyssa McGowan, Pets at Home chief executive officer, said: “As the UK continues to experience a rapid rise in the cost of living, we know that pet owners will do everything they can to ensure their pets don’t miss out, but we also understand that some owners may be facing difficult choices as their finances become stretched.

“Blue Cross and Pets at Home believe no one should have to face the difficulty of struggling to feed their beloved pets, and we know that our customers are keen to help out wherever they can. This is why we are joining forces to install pet food donation points across all Pets at Home stores, working together to make sure no pet goes hungry.”

Chris Burghes, chief executive officer at Blue Cross, said: “Pets are part of the family and we’re really proud to have partnered with Pets at Home on this scheme to have a positive impact on the community.”

The initiative coincides with Pets at Home’s ongoing partnership with Blue Cross, which has led to it receiving more than £470,000 from its VIP Lifelines scheme over the last decade.