Dorset Dogs open pet food bank in Boscombe

Dorset Dogs celebrated the opening of its newest pet food bank with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

The bank, in Haviland Road, is the seventh food bank dedicated to pets that the charity has opened within the last five months, with the others located across Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester and Portland. 

It is stocked with pet food and supplies and can be accessed by anyone struggling to feed their animals. 

Nicky Crowe, founder of the Dorset Dogs group, explained there was a “real need” for a service in the area.

Nicky Crowe outside the new pet food bank (Image: NQ)

She told the Daily Echo: “We have seen people coming into regular food banks and asking what they can feed their dogs out of their human food box.

“They are often feeding their pets before looking after themselves.

“I think this has probably been a problem for a while, but the cost-of-living crisis is affecting more and more people, not just the ones you’d think.

“Food prices have gone up, and that’s a big hit for people on a monthly budget- they often get to the end of the month and can’t afford to feed their pets.”

Dorset Dogs works in the community to support dogs and their families.

It raises awareness of the importance of pets and dogs to the well-being of humans.

Debbie Davies, a Boscombe resident, will be using the charity's newest pet food bank to help feed her ten-year-old dog, Beau.

Food bank user Debbie and her dog Beau (Image: NQ)

The 56-year-old said the facility was “so important”, and that she wished more pet owners knew about it.

She added: “I know people that are struggling to feed their animals, and if they knew there was a food bank, they might not have to give up their pets.

“Because of the cost of living going up, if it wasn’t for the dog food bank and the food bank for myself, then I wouldn’t have enough food to carry on.

“Beau is my best friend. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

The dogs enjoyed sausages at the ribbon cutting ceremony (Image: NQ)

Attending Tuesday’s ceremony were a number of other food bank users and their pets, representatives of Dorset Dogs, and staff from Castlepoint Shopping Centre in Bournemouth – which is supporting the pet food bank project.

Castlepoint centre manager David Pickett cut the ribbon before the dogs were let loose on strings of sausages.

Speaking on the day, he said: “Castlepoint are really happy to be supporting the opening of the seventh pet food bank.

“It’s about helping the community, and dogs are a big part of the community.”

The new Haviland Road pet food bank is open Monday to Friday between 10am and 12pm. 

For more information, visit the Dorset Dogs website.