The Greater Moncton SPCA is helping provide pet food for pet owners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, some of whom are at home in isolation.
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In light of new quarantine requirements for travelers coming into New Brunswick, this week the Moncton shelter started offering help to pet owners, said Dan Fyer, who is the executive director.
“What we are trying to do is offer assistance to anybody that feels that they need help with getting food or supplies or toys that they need while they are insolation with their pets,” he said.
Fryer said the shelter will provide contactless free deliveries for people in isolation and will even make special trips to pick up and buy specialty foods for animals on restricted diets.
“We know that some pets have specialized diets that you cannot necessarily get from the grocery store and not a lot of those pet stores are able to do delivery,” said Fryer, who noted payment arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis.
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The GMSPCA is also offering help for people unable to pay for their pet food said Fryer.
Last spring, the shelter launched a pet food bank program to help people who were struggling to feed their pets amid pandemic jobs losses and shutdowns, said Fryer.
Dany LeBlanc, an employee at the shelter, has made some pet food deliveries.
“It feels pretty good. You know that they need help so you basically do something good for the community,” he said.
Since launching the pet food back last April, Fryer said the shelter has donated 9,000 pounds of pet food to people in need.
The pet food bank has become a regular program that will continue even after the pandemic passes, Fryer said.
Until then, he said the contactless pet food delivery service will continue for as long as there is a need for people to isolate.