For the price of a latte you can help better the lives of pets and their guardians.
The Animal Food Bank operates in the Okanagan, Calgary and Winnipeg, and it's expanding again.
Founder Nicole Wilks say March 31st they launch the Pet Club. "We came up with this different strategy where we would sell a pet club membership to anyone who's interested in paying $4.99 a month. Businesses will partner with us to provide our members with exclusive discounts, coupons and things like that. That revenue stream will then go to fund the operation of the Animal Food Bank."
Wilks says they aren't taking on a charitable status in order to use the money how they see fit.
"Because charities are policed, and need to be I think, it does set us up in a situation where we really have to choose do we want to spend between $5,000 and $15,000 a year just to obtain and then maintain a charitable status and what does that offer us."
Wilks says the status would open grant opportunities, but most aren't geared towards pets.
She ssays she doesn't know of any similar programs to the AFB across Canada are are working to fill the gap.
The Pet Club membership fee will cover costs of AFB services such as emergency fostering, food and pet supply deliveries, medications, and emergency vet visits.
Wilks also hopes to launch a token program once the pet club is underway.
"When they sign up with us they will be granted three tokens, and those tokens are good for one delivery. So, they can use those tokens one month after another or split them up and use them however they like, but after they've used those three tokens they're going to have to give back to the community and/or us in some way to earn the next month's delivery."
The AFB has a goal of improving life for pets and their guardians. Learn more about the AFB and the new Pet Club program at animalfoodbank.org.