The Community Foundation of Orillia and Area has helped make possible a collaborative effort between the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society and The Lighthouse.
On Wednesday, it granted $2,500 for the Pawsitive Packs pilot project the two charities have been partnering on.
“One of the big things that will come out of this is that there will be, sort of, an endless supply of pet food,” said Natalie Harris, community outreach co-ordinator with the Orillia branch of the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society.
The aim of the pilot project is to help provide care for pets and allow less fortunate people to use the social services available for themselves. They will provide packs with warm and durable animal gear as well as set up refill stations at the outreach van and at The Lighthouse.
It will kick off Jan. 15 and run through June, and Harris is eager to help and gather feedback.
“This is the first time we’ve done a collaboration like this, so we’ll be learning from it and hone in on what is best for them and those animals, and maybe apply for another grant,” she said.
The team is brainstorming to determine how to track everything, like how much food they go through and if anything vital was missing from the packs. Harris is certain that between the grant funds and partnerships, local animals living roughly will be provided with all the food they need.
She has seen an increase in animal surrenders at the local Ontario SPCA.
As food insecurity is a problem for people, it transfers to those with pets. The issue is compounded by the fact many shelters, like The Lighthouse, are unable to accept animals due to safety concerns.
“That causes issues because people and animals have a huge connection, sometimes more so than anything else. People will not leave their dogs,” said Linda Goodall, executive director of The Lighthouse.
Based on the outreach program at The Lighthouse, Goodall is aware of five people who are living in tough situations with animals. She anticipates this project will spread by word of mouth and they will assist in feeding pets so more people can also be better taken care of.
“It’s critical to keep people healthy and safe,” Goodall said of the project.
Kathy Webb, who has been on the board of the Community Foundation of Orillia and Area for more than a decade, delivered the cheque to staff from both charity organizations.
“There were requests for $118,000, and we only had $40,000 to give away,” she said.
When discussing the funding for this collaborative grant, she said to her colleagues, “If you’re homeless and your dog is with you, it’s safety, it’s security, it’s companionship, it’s a huge part of your mental health.”
Harris and Webb addressed how they are sometimes asked how people who are experiencing homelessness can have animals in the first place.
“They are their family members,” explained Harris of the much-loved pets. “The last step would be to surrender their animals, and we want to be able to support them. As long as the animal is safe and gets the services it needs, then we want families — people and pets — to stay together.”
The three women shared stories about people they’ve met and animals they’ve encountered who would have benefited from the Pawsitive Packs project had it existed sooner in the area.
Recently, Webb and Harris watched a dog mourn as her only family member left her at the Ontario SPCA so she could have food and warmth.
Still relying on some donations, both the Ontario SPCA and The Lighthouse will have more to offer people and animals in the new year.
“It is filling a gap that we know exists, but this grant solidifies it for us,” said Harris.
