The Pet Advocacy Center – Parachutes for Pets, home of the world’s first-ever facility of its kind, is committed to keeping vulnerable people and their pets together by removing barriers and providing essential resources. Their mission is to create a compassionate community where no individual has to face losing their pet due to hardship. Through a variety of services, including emergency support, a pet food bank, low-income pet daycare, and safekeeping programs, the centre ensures pets and their owners are cared for during life’s toughest challenges. Additionally, initiatives like Pawsitive Pathways and Lily & Dexter’s Legacy provide youth with critical emotional support and ensure children in foster care can remain united with their beloved pets. By building robust community support networks, the Pet Advocacy Center advocates for a future where people and pets thrive together. We spoke with Executive Director Melissa David, to learn more about their mission.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
At Parachutes for Pets we assist the most vulnerable with essential pet care in times of crisis. We offer a pet food bank, a pet safekeeping program, and a 24-hour angel team that assists outreach teams and first responders with clients in crisis who have pets.
What problem does it aim to solve?
The human-animal bond is very strong, and sometimes folks only have their pets as family. To ask them to give up their pet due to a hospital stay, to leave a domestic violence situation, or because they can’t afford the food is devastating. Pets are essential to one’s mental health and one’s physical health. They force us to go outside for exercise, to get out of bed to feed them, etc.
When did you start/join the charity?
Joined Parachutes for Pets on March 2019
What made you want to get involved?
I was in law enforcement and saw the gaps when there were calls involving people and pets. We could offer resources and help for the people but oftentimes there was nothing to ensure the pets were safe and taken care of which would stop people from getting what they needed such as medical care.
What was the situation like when you started?
We are a niche organization, I started it because there was nothing like it. It was steady, however, once COVID hit, the requests skyrocketed and we have not slowed down since.
How has it changed since?
Yes. We are now in a housing and a mental health crisis both which are driving up the requests for our safekeeping program and the calls for our angel team.
What more needs to be done?
We struggle with funding. Government, larger institutions do not see pets as a priority. Therefore we have to fundraise and rely on our community for every dollar. It’s frustrating as any pet owner knows pets are much more than a piece of property.
How can our readers help?
I encourage them to check out our social media and website and advocate for our organization wherever they are. We have a dream of being able to expand to other larger areas in Canada where homelessness has risen. The unhoused with pets need us more than ever.
Do you have any events coming up?
We always have something going on as I mentioned we fundraise for every dollar we get. Follow us to find out what we have in the works.
Where can we follow you?
Website | Facebook | Instagram
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
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