Early season wildfires, rising demand contributing to pet food shortage at B.C. SPCA food banks

Early-season wildfires in British Columbia and a general increase in demand have the B.C. SPCA struggling to stock its pet food banks around the province.

"When guardians and their pets are evacuated due to a natural disaster like wildfires or floods, they can be away from their homes for weeks at a time," said B.C. SPCA outreach specialist Diane Waters in a Thursday news release. "They often rely on the B.C. SPCA's pet food banks for food and supplies until they are allowed to return."

Waters says when some residents of Fort St. John in the northeast part of the province were evacuated due to wildfire risk last week along with B.C. SPCA staff and animals in their care supplies were diverted to the area to assist guardians who were displaced.

Pet food shortages created by situations like this are being made worse by an increase in demand across the province in the past four months, especially by those on fixed incomes, Waters says. The B.C. SPCA says one of the communities that has seen a surge in demand for pet food is Victoria.

"Since 2022, we have seen [more than a] 25 per cent increase in demand for the pet food bank program," said Breanne Beckett, senior manager for animal care services in the Victoria area. "The current food security landscape in our community and rising costs of living have had an impact."

Beckett says the B.C. SPCA's efforts to increase awareness of the Victoria pet food bank program have also meant more people are reaching out for help.

Waters says the B.C. SPCA welcomes donations of unopened pet food for community food banks.

"Our biggest need right now is dry and wet cat food and cat litter," Waters said.

The B.C. SPCA says it provided 532,000 meals through pet food banks in 2022.