Pet project takes lead

Every month about 15,000 meals are handed out by volunteers to more than 600 people on the coast. And from May, seniors’ pets can also get their food delivered, as part of the Central Coast Meals on Wheels for Furry Friends project.

To deliver the project the organisation has teamed up with Central Coast-based pet food manufacturer East Coast Dogs, which makes food for cats and dogs using raw and natural ingredients.

Meals on Wheels Central Coast marketing manager, Lisa Colquhoun, said 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,” she said.

“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.”

Ms Colquhoun said a high rate of older people on the Central Coast have to relinquish their pets when the physical burden of looking after them gets too much. She expects the service to reach about 150 seniors who have dogs or cats.

Volunteer Mike Baker, 73, from Bateau Bay, has been delivering meals to clients for 14 years. He said the scheme, which will run as a pilot project for 12 months, would be beneficial to his customers.

“Quite a lot of them have dogs and cats and it can be very heavy for them to bring tins and bags of food home from the shops,” Mr Baker said. “For lots of seniors their pets are their companions and we also have clients with guide dogs.”Volunteer Mike Baker, 73, from Bateau Bay, has been delivering meals to clients for 14 years. He said the scheme, which will run as a pilot project for 12 months, would be beneficial to his customers.

East Coast Dogs owner Scott Botham said he was excited to get behind the initiative “to make sure elderly people in our community are able to give their pets top-quality, nutritious food without the hefty price tag”.

The pet food will be delivered in pre-packaged individual portions designed to best meet the total daily nutritional needs of the animals, depending on their body weight. Individual portions can be frozen for convenience with prices starting from $2 for a daily portion for a cat or small dog (125g serving).

Ms Colquhoun said with comparable projects having great success in the US and Britain, she is confident the project will enjoy similar success on the coast, with potential for the project to be replicated by other Meals on Wheels groups.

The project was made possible through a state government grant, and was officially launched by NSW Minister for Ageing Tanya Davies.

Footnote: Not-for-profit organisation Meals on Wheels Central Coast has been delivering meals, social support and a helping hand to local seniors and people with a disability since 1967. It is helped by an army of 350 volunteers.