Animal Food Bank founder Nicole Frey and Pet Valu assistant store director Angela Hogg, along with pups Tucker and Bailey, stand beside one of the two AFB giving trees, which are set up at each of the Medicine Hat's two Pet Valu locations.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s Animal Food Bank is hoping to alleviate local low-income pet owners of Holiday stress with its tree tag donation drive – beginning today and continuing through to Dec. 24 – hosted in partnership with local Pet Valu stores.
Founded in 2019, but only officially launching in Medicine Hat this September, AFB is a non-profit animal welfare organization which provides low-income and homeless pet owners with food and other necessities.
Having just launched, this will be AFB’s first time operating a tree tag donation drive in Medicine Hat. However the drive has been held annually at other AFB branches since the organization’s establishment.
“Every year for Christmas, we do a tree tag donation at all our branches,” AFB founder and Medicine Hat resident Nicole Frey told the News. “So here in Medicine Hat, people can go into one of the Pet Valu locations, pick out a tree tag with the name of a pet in need on it and buy a gift for that pet.”
Each tag includes the pet’s name and age, as well as a requested gift, such as ‘kibble’ or ‘wet food.’ However donors may provide extras – like pet toys or treats – if they desire.
“People can use their judgment based on what their budget is and how much they’re able to donate (but) no donation is ever too small,” said Frey. “So, if you have $1 and you want to buy a cat a toy; fantastic. That’s one cat who has a toy.”
Donors may also purchase gift cards from Pet Valu for AFB – the funds from which will be used to purchase additional items to be redistributed throughout the community.
“Anything donated in a community by the community, stays in the community,” said Frey. “And it helps us support the local pet stores as well (as) all the money stays in that pet store for us to buy stuff that we need (in the future).”
Frey believes the tree tag donation drive is an excellent way to showcase the spirit of the giving season, while making a meaningful difference within the community.
“We just polled our clients and 65.7 per cent said that because of AFB they don’t have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their pets,” said Frey. “And 55.6 per cent of them haven’t had to surrender their pet because of our services. And that’s really impactful.
“Shelters and rescues are at, or over capacity and so many pets need a good home. (And our clients) are providing good homes. So if we can help support those good homes in keeping those pets, it’s good for humanity and it’s good for the community.”
