'The last thing they want to do is surrender their pets': Food drive supports Calgary veterans, and their animals
Many Calgary veterans rely heavily on the Veterans Association Food Bank to feed not only themselves, but the animals they hold dear to their hearts.
As Remembrance Day approaches, a pet food drive is being planned to ensure veterans in need can keep their pets, and keep them fed.
"The economy is so bad right now and everyone's struggling," said Chris Malmberg of MOMMS Premium Pet Foods, which is organizing the drive.
"It ... gives them peace of mind for their PTSD or whatever demons they're fighting. The last thing they want to do is surrender their pets because they can't feed them."
Since 2020, MOMMS Premium Pet Foods has spearheaded pet food drives that resulted in nearly 4,000 kilograms of food for both the Calgary Food Bank and the Veterans Association Food Bank.
The company hopes to match that with its latest effort.
"The pet community is very loyal," Malmberg said.
"When you mix veterans and pets together, Calgary comes together, and all they want to do is help."
Anipet Animal Supplies has already committed to donating almost 2,000 kilograms of pet food.
"We tend to have a lot of slightly damaged items that you can't resell," said Thomas Gronberg of Anipet Animal Supplies.
"So we use that as an opportunity to give back to the community and to dogs in need."
VETERANS' PETS PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP & THERAPY
Veteran Wendy Feagan says the help is much appreciated, especially by vets who struggle to afford the basics for their animals.
"There are veterans out there that can't afford to look after their dogs, to go to the vet, to have them groomed or fed," she said.
Feagan's three-year-old dog, Faith, is a loyal, therapeutic companion.
"She keeps me in the present, which is something that we all need," she said.
"Many of us live in the past or we're worried about the future, so animals, the way they think and act, are always in the present, and that helps us, helps me a lot."
Feagan also says monetary donations are very important to the Veterans Association Food Bank's pet assistance efforts.
The money helps the organization pay for things such as pet wellness checks, vet bills and grooming, through its Pet Care Promise program.
INFLATION CREATES A CHALLENGE
The high rate of inflation has added an extra challenge to the pet food drive, and to vets struggling to get by.
"We get price increase after price increase after price increase," Malmberg said.
"It's out of our control. The manufacturers, they tell us what we sell their product at and we have no choice."
Malmberg says some products have gone up in price by 40 per cent in the last six months.
And he says supply chain issues mean only 70 per cent of an order may come in.
PET FOOD DRIVE DETAILS
The food drive takes place at MOMMS Premium Pet Foods, at 755 Lake Bonavista Dr. S.E., on Saturday Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Newly purchased bags of pet food, open bags that are properly sealed and cash donations will be accepted.
Organizers will also accept dishes, collars, harnesses and toys for pets.
Full details are available here.
HELP MUCH APPRECIATED
Feagan says veterans will appreciate the donations more than most people will know.
"Feeding the humans comes first, and that's hard enough for people nowadays," she said.
"So any anything we can do for the animals that support us, and that have supported veterans for hundreds of years, is very important."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.