On Monday, March 13, the Minister for Ageing, Ms Tanya Davies, paid a visit to Meals on Wheels Central Coast’s Tuggerah Hub to present the organisation with a grant towards its Meals on Wheels for Furry Friends project.
The project will be launched this coming May and will help to alleviate some of the financial and physical burdens of pet ownership for Central Coast seniors.
Meals on Wheels for Furry Friends will involve the delivery of affordable, nutritious pet food to elderly pet-owners from across the region by Meals on Wheels’ friendly volunteers.
Not only is delivery free, but volunteers will take time to talk with pet owners to ensure they and their pets are doing well, and provide support and a helping-hand with pet feeding if needed.
“There are so many proven benefits of pet ownership for older people, including reduced isolation and improved health outcomes.
However, the ongoing and necessary costs and physical burdens of pet ownership, particularly the costs and burdens of feeding pets, can be prohibitive for many seniors,” said Meals on Wheels Central Coast’s Marketing Manager, Ms Lisa Colquhoun.
“Saving older people from having to haul kilos of costly pet food from the grocery store back to their homes will make it much easier for them to keep their furry friends,” Ms Colquhoun added.
To deliver the project, Meals on Wheels Central Coast has teamed up with Central Coast-based pet food manufacturers, East Coast Dogs Raw and Fresh, who produce a complete balanced diet for both cats and dogs using only raw and natural ingredients.
“We are so excited to get behind this great initiative to make sure elderly people in our community are able to give their pets top quality, nutritious food without the hefty price tag,” said East Coast Dogs’ Owner and Operator, Mr Scott Botham.
With comparable projects having great success in both the USA and United Kingdom, Meals on Wheels Central Coast and East Coast Dogs are confident that ‘Meals on Wheels for Furry Friends’ will enjoy similar success on the Central Coast, with potential for the project to be replicated by other Meals on Wheels groups across NSW.
Meals on Wheels for Furry Friends is expected to assist over 150 local seniors and their pets following the May launch.
Media release,
Mar 17, 2017
Lisa Colquhoun, Meals on Wheels