Big boost from lottery winners for pet foodbank
A GROUP of National Lottery winners – including a couple from Pembrey in Carmarthenshire – joined forces to support a West Wales pet foodbank as they geared up for a busy festive season.
The millionaire team, made up of dog-loving winners from across Wales, jumped at the chance to spend the day with National Lottery funded community interest company Cariad Pet Therapy in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and meet some of the dog volunteers.
Volunteers for the day, the National Lottery winners donated lots of pet supplies to the pet foodbank and were able to see for themselves how the organisation operates and learn more about their beneficiaries.
The National Lottery winners included Chris and Geraldine Bradley who live in Pembrey.
Chris’ late grandfather Bob from Llanelli won £3.6m in 2006 and shared his winnings with family before sadly passing away aged 84.
The winner volunteers arrived at Cariad Pet Therapy, ready to get stuck in. They parcelled up the donated pet food, restocked shelves and met some of the people who have benefitted from the service.
Cariad Pet Therapy was founded by volunteers Rob Thomas and his wife Chrissie, as they believe that regular contact with animals has a positive impact on people’s mental well-being.
In January 2021, they launched the Cariad Pet Food Bank when they realised that people were struggling financially in the wake of
Covid and there was a very real possibility that people already under incredible stress, might be forced to give up their pets if they couldn’t afford to feed them.
They found that many of those struggling were feeding their beloved pets before themselves during the pandemic.
So far, Cariad has donated just under 70,000 meals for animals in need.
Rob, director of Cariad Pet Therapy, said: “We are so grateful to the National Lottery winners for their generous pet food donation which means that we are well stocked for the festive season and hopefully well into the New Year.
“It was great that they were able to come along to the pet food bank and see for themselves where the donations will go and how it all works.”