New Swanage dog food bank to help feed pets in need

By Andrew Smith 21 April 2025, 6:00 am

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Swanage Food Bank, in the United Reform Church, now has a dedicated pet food section

A new service has been set up in Swanage in Dorset to help pet owners who are struggling with the cost of living – a dog food bank.

Running alongside the regular Swanage Food Bank based at the United Reformed Church in the High Street, the service for pets is available for anyone in genuine need who is struggling with the cost of feeding their fur babies.

Swanage United Reformed Church is the base for the new pet food bank

Up to 50 pets a day given away

It is the lucky 13th pet food bank to be set up in Dorset since January 2023, which has revealed a real need for the service – with fundraising now under way to open the next one in Wareham.

A collection point specially for pet food has been set up at the gift shop Salt in the High Street opposite the library, which is taking donations from kind hearted members of the community.

Donations are then taken up to the United Reform Church where they join regular food from collection points at the Co-op, Costcutters, Budgens and Spar.

Dorset Dogs, a not-for-profit, community interest company, is behind the scheme to make sure that no pet goes unfed. It was set up after shocking figures revealed that up to 50 pets a day across the UK are given away by owners struggling to feed them.

Nicky Merlin and her King Charles spaniel – also Merlin – visit the URC in Swanage High Street

“Triggered by cost of living crisis”

Ambassador Nicky Merlin said:

“Our Dog Food Banks scheme was triggered two years ago by the cost of living crisis, after electricity and gas shot up in price and food bins were becoming more prominent in supermarkets to help people struggling to feed their families.

“I would look in the bins and never see any pet food, which made me feel helpless. Dorset Dogs has a huge Facebook community, we know that half of dog households also have cats, or gerbils, rabbits and hamsters, and we wanted to help them all.

“I spoke to Sam, one of our volunteers and suggested opening some pet food banks – she loved the idea, so we just ran with it, opening our first in Poole in January 2023.

“Rescue centres were telling us that they were being overrun and it was not just dogs that were being given up, but all kinds of pets, with the reason most often cited being the cost of living.

“They had also seen a problem with pet behaviour, but if you can’t give your pet its basic needs like food, and they start to pick up on stress within their human family, behavioural issues will follow, as they are so in tune with our emotions.”

A corner of Swanage Food Bank is now specially for pet food

“It just broke my heart”

Nicky added:

“As more branches opened, right across Dorset, we started to hear how grateful people were that there was a pet food bank, and how previously they had been giving their pets food out of their human food box, which just broke my heart.

“We found that people who visited the banks met other people with animals in similar situations, started opening up about themselves and benefitted from an uplift in positivity.

“One lady had lost her husband, who had given her a dog and that became her therapy, an emotional support animal for her, and it would have been devastating if she had been forced to give up her pet.

“Feedback from the rescue centres is that we are helping to prevent people giving up their animals, and we also feel that if we can supply food for pets where families are struggling it will help them with so much more.”

Merlin has become the face of Dorset’s dog food banks

Demand has continued to grow

Nicky’s King Charles spaniel Merlin has become the face of Dorset’s dog food banks and is becoming widely recognised as they spread far and wide – he has even started his own travel dog blog to rate dog friendly resorts in the county!

Swanage’s dog food bank was set up after a local resident was seen weekly in the Poole pet food bank and admitted that she was taking the bus from Swanage every week to pick up food for her dog as she didn’t know how else to avoid losing her pet.

After speaking with Nicky, it was felt that the best way forward was to set up a pet food bank in Swanage itself, as there seemed to be an obvious need within the community.

Since it opened three months ago, demand has continued to grow and Dorset Dogs is now making an appeal to local residents who would be able to donate pet food.

Word has also reached Wareham Food Bank, which is regularly asked for pet food by local families, and a Just Giving page has been set up with a £500 target to stock what will be the 14th pet food bank in Dorset.

Salt has become the dedicated drop-off point for pet food donations

“We want to help all pets”

Nicky Merlin said:

“Wareham is an area of high need, and after the local community reached out to us we are aiming to set up another bank for the town and fill the box to the brim with pet food for spring and beyond, to keep dogs and pets out of rescue.

“Although we are Dorset Dogs, we want to help all pets including cats, rabbits and birds – 50 percent of households have a pet, so it is not too much of a stretch to think that 50 percent of everyone who visits a food bank will need help to feed their pets as well.

“Inflation and the cost of living crisis has cut deep in communities and people who were quite well off before are now finding themselves starting to struggle.

“We are very pleased to have opened in Swanage – it has a special place in my heart and Merlin feels the same, as the town is so dog friendly!

“We are now asking all those who can to drop off pet food donations to Salt of Dorset, the beautiful gift shop on the high street where you can also have a cuppa and watch doggies pass by. We rely on you to make all of this possible!”

Pets are always welcome at Salt – and tend to get treats when they visit!

“People in Swanage love their pets”

Ann, spokesperson for Swanage Food Bank, said:

“A lot of people come in here asking for food for their pets, and for some it has been more important to feed their pets before themselves – when none was available they would take tuna or chicken for themselves but give it to their pets.

“People in Swanage love their pets and if they are struggling with the cost of living, it can be devastating to think that their pet won’t be fed.

“We are especially looking for cat food, but we find that stocks of all pet food go down very quickly. We are open to anyone in financial need – young families, the elderly, and we are also seeing quite a few young single men coming to us.

Cat food would be especially welcome at the food bank, where supplies go down very quickly

Friendly confidential service

Ann added:

“We prefer people to contact us beforehand, then either come in to collect it, or they can have it delivered by Food Bank volunteers.

“The best route is for people to be referred to us by groups like Swanage Medical Practice, Swanage Children’s Centre, local churches and schools or Citizens Advice, who will also be able to give advice about other benefits available to those who are struggling with their finances.”

Swanage Food Bank is open by arrangement every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 12 noon and 2 pm, with the exception of Easter Monday.

It provides food supplies for seven days per person in a household, based on three meals a day. The friendly, confidential service offers home delivery or collection from Swanage URC at agreed times.