Southern Four Paws Food Bank

Here at Be The Change Animal Shelter Inc. we are acutely aware of how cost of living expenses along with a lack of housing affordability is severely impacting a number of our fur owning community members. We have heard, firsthand, so many stories relating to community members who can no longer factor vet bills into their budgets, therefore requiring surrendering their animals. Community members that have been forced to vacate their rentals due to landlords selling and such members not being able to find another rental in a similar price bracket and or a landlord that will accept animals.

As a result, we understand such community members are sleeping rough, couch surfing, in caravan parks, living in sheds, made a return home or living with relatives, some are also needing to live in shared accommodation or merely a room.

Having to know such stories and experiencing high levels of requests for assistance is heartbreaking and as a result we have spent many a sleepless nights wondering what we can do to meaningfully assist. We cannot sit idol any longer, given surrenders are at an all time high, in our experience of 11 years, and adoptions have grinded to a halt.

So, we are proud to introduce a new project named ‘Southern Four Paws Foodbank’.

This project aims to assist the pets of student card holders, veterans, senior, pensioner, disability etc basically any recipients of Government financial assistance and will do this by providing one weeks’ worth of animal food to their door for a gold coin donation ongoing for each week that’s needed.

The geographical area covered is the City of Onkaparinga. We will deliver anywhere that is needed including tents, caravans and alternative accommodation.

To begin with we are needing to cap assistance to 35 individuals/ families however will increase as soon as we are able.

It is our wish to provide eligible community members with nourishing meals for their fur babies whilst knowing that they don’t have to worry how they are going to cover their animal’s food bill as well as their own. One of the key driving objectives is to assist community members on low incomes to keep their fur babies with them throughout a time whereby inflation is at its highest in over a century and affordable housing is no more. These people have lost so much already, the last thing they need is to be separated from their pets. If you know of someone who would benefit from our ‘Four Paws Food Bank’ please connect them with BTC for an application form for assistance. The project starts on the 22nd August and delivery day is every Tuesday.