Cost of Living: Surrey RSPCA donating pet food to food bank

Some pet owners are struggling to feed their animals as household prices rise, the RSPCA said

An animal charity has appealed for pet food donations as a food bank scheme is coming under increasing pressure.

The RSPCA said pet owners were struggling to afford to feed their animals as household prices rise.

The Guildford and Epsom local RSPCA donates pet supplies to the Hive Community Foodbank in Guildford and also buys food when they run out.

The charity said it is now also liaising with nearby supermarkets to arrange for further donations.

Katrina Tully, from the RSPCA branch, said: "Sadly, it seems as though the cost of living increase means that more people are struggling to afford to feed their pets and are relying on the food banks more and more.

"We started donating pet food because we understood that many people were falling on hard times and we wanted to make sure that those who were struggling could still stay with their pets whilst they got back on their feet," she said.

An RSPCA report, based on a YouGov survey of more than 4,000 UK adults in April, found that in the South East 31% of respondents said they were worried about being able to afford to properly care for their pet, with 18% saying they were worried about the cost of feeding their pets.

Ms Tully said: "We are now bracing for an influx of abandoned pets or owners who have to give them up because they can no longer afford to keep them, but we hope that through the food bank we will be able to provide some support to people and their much-loved pets."

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