Mobile pet food bank making paw-sitive impact in Winnipeg

A group of good Samaritans in Winnipeg are trying to help shoulder high costs of living, by feeding residents’ furry friends.

Friday morning, dozens of people lined up by Bear Clan Patrol headquarters on Selkirk Avenue, waiting to get free bags and boxes of pet food.

Angela Klassen, the Bear Clan’s Downtown West Broadway coordinator, said the line stretched around the block, with “a lot of people lined up since 9:00 this morning and, you know, bless their hearts, and they’re being so very courteous and kind to each other.”

The bank opened just before 11 a.m., and was set to close up shop when all boxes and bags had left the site.

It’s the second time the Bear Clan, Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), and Feed the Fur Babies Canada have paired up to hold a mobile pet food bank for cats and dogs.

Meghan Irwin, director for behaviour and retail operations with the WHS, said the organizations have learned a lot since their first kick-at-the-can, when they ran out of hundreds of pounds of food within an hour.

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“We’re back again — bigger than ever — and we’ve doubled the amount of food that we have. So, we’re hoping we can meet the demand today,” she said, noting that need in the community is increasing.

Irwin said the society’s emergency pet food demand alone has climbed by 25 per cent over the last year and shows no sign of slowing down.

The WHS said it provides about $1,000 worth of pet food a month to those who need it.

Jared Chambers, the proud owner of two adult German Shepherds, said he spends about $100 every two weeks on dog food.

Now, he has the same amount, but for free.

“This is pretty awesome, seeing all this dog food be given away. It’s going to help a lot of people out,” he said.

“Everybody gets something, and we just want to make everybody happy,” Klassen said. “It’s to help the community, (and) it’s to help the animals,” she said, noting that there is increasing demand both for Winnipeg’s most vulnerable and for their four-legged friends.

Chamber said the pet food bank certainly has a paw-sitive impact.

“It helps my pockets. With inflation going on today it’s actually a blessing,” he said.

0:42 Winnipeg Humane Society and Bear Clan Patrol pair to help feed Winnipeg pets