A West Lothian food bank specifically helping pets are looking for donations to help buy a new storage facility to keep up with growing demand.
Charleigh Thompson, of Livingston, works as a dog walker, but has spent the last three years using her free time to run West Lothian Pet Foodbank, helping pet owners who have fallen on hard times with food and flea and grooming services.
Unfortunately, the storage facility Charleigh started with in 2016 is no longer fit for purpose, and has been overwhelmed by growing demand, with space running out and her philanthropic efforts spilling all through her house.
“At the moment, we’re using a shed, which we were lucky enough to be gifted with by one of my neighbours when he got a bigger one.
“But since we started we’ve gotten busier and busier, and it’s gotten more and more full to the point that I can barely get in it anymore, let alone have it organised efficiently.
“I’ve actually got a big bag of food under my bed and other stuff in my wardrobe just now.”
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The shed has also started to leak, meaning Charliegh’s lost some supplies to water damage.
Any money raised will go towards a new, larger, hardier storage facility with heavy-duty shelving.
This will allow Charleigh and her volunteers to more efficiently help vulnerable pet owners in West Lothian and beyond.
On what inspired her to start the foodbank, Charleigh said: “I read an article talking about foodbanks and it just got me thinking about whether there were ones for pets.
“I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if I fell on hard times and was struggling to feed my pets, so when I saw there wasn’t one locally, I set my own one up.
“I know regular foodbanks do give out some pet food, but a couple of tins a week doesn’t always do if people have more than one dog, so that’s where we come in.
“Since I started doing this I’ve met people who’ve told me their dogs have been eating the same thing they’ve been eating it’s gotten so bad - and that’s obviously not good for the dogs’ health.”
A Paypal pool has been set-up for the fundraising effort, which can be donated to at: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8d9YKOML70?fbclid=IwAR1_0kdgG25hjwlBHi4bGyfLXuz4gFjf9lV3asfxKpcTzFSUiQbB7WihAHM.
More information on the West Lothian Pet Foodbank and their activities can be found by visiting their Facebook group.
