Food bank for pets helping those in need in Simcoe County

A group of volunteers in Simcoe County dedicates much of their time to ensuring no animal in the area goes hungry.
The South Simcoe Pet Food Bank started five years ago to provide support to anyone struggling to care for their furry friends properly. The group behind it decided to use their previous experience working in animal rescues for the cause at hand.
"We've all come to the conclusion that most animals, most pets are not surrendered to shelters because they are unloved; they're surrendered because somebody had to make a hard decision, and that was usually a financial decision," says Erin Sanderson, one of the group's lead volunteers. "So our hope is to keep people and their pets together by providing that temporary support."
The food bank, which Sanderson says was started upon noticing a growing need, is targeted towards anyone from Barrie, Innisfil and Bradford who needs help. They are reliant on community donations, with some local pet stores donating products on a bi-monthly basis.
"When we first began, we started with just product, so we would just collect product only and distribute the product as was needed," Sanderson says. "Now we do a shout out on our page, and the outpouring from the community in Bradford, Innisfil and Barrie and even outside of these areas as well is just tremendous, and we couldn't do it without the people who donate."
The group supported victims of last summer's EF2 tornado, which devastated residential neighbourhoods throughout the region.
It is currently looking for more volunteers. Now they are unable to provide delivery options; however, if more volunteers join the effort, the group may be able to expand its support options.
If you'd like more information, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Agent: Rushdie off ventilator and talking, day after attack
'The Satanic Verses' author Salman Rushdie was taken off a ventilator and able to talk Saturday, a day after he was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in upstate New York.

Arizona parents arrested trying to get in locked-down school
Police arrested three Arizona parents, shocking two of them with stun guns, as they tried to force their way into a school that police locked down Friday after an armed man was seen trying to get on campus, authorities said.
Parent of child with rare form of epilepsy distressed over N.S. ER closures
Kristen Hayes lives close to the hospital in Yarmouth, N.S., but she says that twice in the past month, her son, who has a rare form of epilepsy, has been taken by ambulance to the emergency room there, only to be left waiting.
Feds quietly change rules to allow one-time ArriveCAN exemption at land border crossings
The Canada Border Services Agency is temporarily allowing fully vaccinated travellers a one-time exemption to not be penalized if they were unaware of the health documents required through ArriveCAN.
Average rent up more than 10% in July from previous year, report says
Average rent in Canada for all properties rose more than 10 per cent year-over-year in July, according to a recent nationwide analysis of listings on Rentals.ca.
LAPD ends investigation into Anne Heche car crash
The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident, when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Backing up Ukraine's history: App creates 3D models of important cultural heritage
Volunteers armed with smartphones are using a 3D-modelling app to preserve Ukraine's cultural heritage one snap at a time.
More than 10,000 Canadians received a medically-assisted death in 2021: report
More Canadians are ending their lives with a medically-assisted death, says the third federal annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAID). Data shows that 10,064 people died in 2021 with medical aid, an increase of 32 per cent over 2020.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.