SSPCA hands out almost 70,000 meals to struggling pet owners

A charity has helped pet owners by handing out almost 70,000 meals for their animals.

The Scottish SPCA’s Pet Aid service was set up in 2023 to help owners facing hardship due to the cost of living crisis.

They say they have seen helpline calls rise by 24% as more and more families face having to give up their pets.

The service aims to provide early help and preventative support for people who may be struggling.

New figures show that 66,895 meals for pets were handed out in 2024 alone – an average of 183 meals a day.

One person the service has helped is Melanie Kiyani and her dog Nala.

Melanie accessed the Scottish SPCA’s Pet Aid after seeking help at the Strathmartine Community Larder Foodbank in Dundee.

Melanie said: “I got Nala, who’s a Jack Russell chihuahua cross, a couple of years ago at the end of the Covid lockdown.

“I’d always wanted a dog, and she brought such joy to my life, due to a variety of reasons, it was a tough time – especially financially.

“Some days, it was the choice between feeding myself or Nala, and Nala won every time.

“Every week it was getting more and more of a struggle to make ends meet, that’s when Pet Aid help stepped in.

“Nala is three years old in May, and I really don’t know where we’d be without the Pet Aid service. It has quite literally saved our lives.”

Now, Melanie volunteers at the service: “It’s great to give something back into the community and help through Pet Aid is needed more than ever.

“It got me back on track at a time I needed it most, and now I love to help other people and their beloved pets too.”

The service has helped over 8,335 owners and their pets across Scotland since its launch in 2023 and now operates 52 food banks and 48 donation points.

Scottish SPCA’s Head of rehoming, fostering & community engagement, Jennie Macdonald, said: “We know that services like Pet Aid are providing a vital lifeline to thousands of people and their pets, and we are going much further in 2025 to bring this kind of early help and preventative support into communities across the country.

“No one should have to choose between feeding themselves or their pet, or struggling with their pets’ health or behaviour because they are frightened about having to give up their much-loved companion.”