With the increased rate of pet ownership in Australia and as the cost of living continues to rise across Victoria, Melbourne-based and volunteer-powered organisation, Pets of the Homeless (POTH), is furthering its mission to support vulnerable pet owners by providing them with essential supplies.

In an effort to raise awareness of the increasing crisis, POTH is hosting a Corporate Volunteer Day on Friday 27 May where members from the Petspiration Group will lend multiple hands to help pack essential supplies for Victorian pet owners struggling to make ends meet.

Items packed and distributed will include nutritious pet food and treats, and the Petspiration Foundation (formally PETstock Assist) has also donated winter dog coats to keep our four-legged friends safe, warm and comfortable as the temperature drops.

Pets of the Homeless’ Founder and CEO, Yvonne Hong, says that the organisation’s corporate volunteer days are a great way for businesses to get involved and make a difference to the people and pets within their communities.

“The rising cost of living in Victoria is placing pressure on pet owners and we’re seeing a number of them struggle to make ends meet, impacting their ability to provide basic care and essential resources that their beloved pets require,” says Yvonne.

“With the help of other volunteers and businesses, we can maximise our impact and continue our mission to help keep vulnerable people and their pets together by alleviating the burden of providing essential pet care during times of hardship.”

“Since our inception in 2015, we have distributed over 800,000 meals through our pet food relief program and extended our services to provide veterinary care as well as a safe shelter for pets via our emergency boarding and foster care program.”

The Petspiration Group’s Managing Director, David Young, says that the volunteer day is an opportunity to support a like-minded organisation and help ease the burden on Victorian pets and their owners.

“We’re proud to partner with Pets of the Homeless and support the incredible work that they carry out to help relieve the financial burden on pet owners across the state,” says David.

“Pets are such an important part of our lives and struggling to provide them with essential care can be extremely stressful for owners.

“Through this volunteer day, we hope to play a part in Pets of the Homeless’ journey towards making a change to the lives of hundreds of pets across the state.”

About the Petspiration Group

The Petspiration Group is a leading network of pet care brands with a diverse portfolio of retailers, products and services in Australia, New Zealand and beyond. The Petspriation Group was founded by the Young family in regional Victoria in 1991 as Ballarat Product, and in 2002 became PETstock. Today the Group is led by brothers Shane and David Young.

Since starting in Ballarat, the Petspiration Group has grown to include more than 200 stores, 3000 employees, 1.5m active customers and 20 brands in the pet, hobby farm, veterinary and specialty sectors. The Petspiration Group is committed to growing the business by leading with its core purpose of ‘coming together for the pets that inspire us.’

About Pets of the Homeless

Pets of the Homeless was founded in 2015 by Yvonne Hong to help keep vulnerable people and their pets together by alleviating the burden of providing essential pet care in times of hardship.

Since inception, the volunteer run organisation has donated 800,000 meals to pets in need and has seen exponential growth over recent years. The organisation services metropolitan areas in Victoria and is now distributing to regional areas including Geelong, Rosebud, Ballarat, Gisborne and Kyneton.