TEARS Animal Rescue seeks community support for Feed Hungry Pets Programme

IOL News

30-04-2025

Paco the dog after he was rescued from hunger and neglect and fed and taken care of
Image: TEARS
In a heartfelt plea for assistance, TEARS Animal Rescue, a non-profit organisation based in Cape Town, is reaching out to the community to help bolster its essential Feed Hungry Pets Programme. This initiative provides critical support to families in low-income areas who are grappling with the harsh reality of pet food insecurity.
As food prices continue to rise, many families find themselves facing the difficult choice of feeding their pets or their loved ones. Unfortunately, it is often the loyal dogs who bear the brunt of this tough decision, while cats tend to rely on their instincts to hunt and scavenge—strategies that can be dangerous and insufficient in urban environments. This is not merely a story of neglect; it is a heartbreaking narrative of love overshadowed by economic hardship.
This is what Paco the dog looked like when he was rescued by TEARS animal rescue
Image: TEARS
The Feed Hungry Pets Programme is designed precisely to address this urgent problem. It provides supplemental feeding that ensures beloved pets receive the nutrition they need to stay healthy and in their homes where they are cherished. Many families are faced with the gut-wrenching prospect of surrendering their pets when they are unable to provide adequate food; for these pet owners, letting go is a last resort.TEARS aims to keep families together by tackling pet food insecurity, the leading cause of pet surrender in low-income communities.
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'We're appealing to the public to help us assist these families and their pets,' said Mandy Store, Operations Manager of TEARS. 'We all love our pets, so we can imagine how devastating it must be to give them up or watch them go hungry. Supplemental feeding supports families who are really struggling and helps keep loved pets in loving homes.'
TEARS's mission goes beyond mere sustenance; it also ensures that shelter space remains available for animals that are truly neglected and in dire need of rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and care. By keeping loved pets in their homes, the organisation can focus on providing for animals that cannot fend for themselves.