Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
What is Lend A Paw Pet Food Foundation 🐾?
Lend A Paw Pet Food Foundation 🐾 is a volunteer-run, donation-powered registered charity providing short-term pet food support to families throughout the Central and South Okanagan.
Our goal is simple: to help keep bowls full and pets at home when families are facing hardship.
Are you government funded?
No. Lend A Paw Pet Food Foundation 🐾 does not receive government funding.
We operate through community donations, fundraising, local partnerships, and the generosity of people who believe pets are family. Every bag, can, and delivery is made possible because our community chooses to help.
Which areas do you serve?
We serve communities throughout the Central and South Okanagan, including Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos, and surrounding areas.
Who can apply for support?
Support is available to households in the Central and South Okanagan who are experiencing financial hardship and need help feeding the pets who permanently live in their home.
How often can I receive assistance?
Assistance is available once every 60 days, up to six times per calendar year, per household.
How much food will I receive?
Each approved request provides approximately one month of pet food, based on availability, household need, and current donation supply.
Current program limits:
Maximum 75 lbs total food per address
Maximum 50 lbs chicken-free food per address, within the 75 lb total
All support amounts depend on donations and availability.
How do I apply?
Applications are completed online through our website during program intake periods.
When applications are open, the assistance request form will be posted clearly on our website.
How long does it take to hear back after applying?
You will receive a confirmation email immediately after submitting your application. If you did not receive a confirmation email, we did not receive your application.
We are a small volunteer-run organization and receive a high volume of requests. Response times can vary, but we do our best to reply as quickly as possible.
How do I receive the pet food?
Lend A Paw Pet Food Foundation 🐾 primarily operates as a delivery-based program.
Once approved, pet food is delivered to the address provided in your application, typically within 7 to 14 days.
While we do our best to meet this timeline, delivery times may vary depending on volunteer capacity, routing, weather, and donation supply. We provide support to hundreds of pets each month, and every delivery is completed by volunteers.
We do not offer pickup unless it has been prearranged.
What types of pet food do you provide?
We primarily provide:
Dry dog food
Dry cat food
Occasional wet food, as available
Limited specialty diets, as available
All food is provided based on what has been donated or what we are able to purchase through fundraising.
Can I request a specific brand or type of food?
You may include preferences or needs in your application, such as allergies, chicken-free food, senior food, or wet food.
Because we rely on donations, we cannot guarantee specific brands, formulas, flavours, or bag sizes.
What if my pet has allergies or needs a special diet?
Please include this information in your application.
We do our best to accommodate needs such as chicken-free food when possible, but specialty diets are limited and cannot be guaranteed.
We are not able to reliably provide prescription diets.
Do you provide food for foster pets, extended family pets, or new pets?
At this time, we are only able to support pets who are permanent residents in the household.
We do not provide pet food support for:
Foster animals
Newly acquired pets
Litters or breeding
Extended family pets not living permanently in the home
Pets added after receiving assistance
This helps us serve the greatest number of local families fairly.
Can I add a new pet while receiving assistance?
No. Households receiving assistance may not add additional pets while using the program.
Our program is designed to provide short-term support for the pets already living in the home. Adding new pets while receiving assistance may result in removal from the program.
Do I need to spay or neuter my pet to receive support?
Spay and neuter is strongly encouraged as part of responsible pet care.
We do not support new litters or breeding. Our focus is helping keep existing pets fed, safe, and with their families.
Can I share or sell the pet food I receive?
Pet food provided by Lend A Paw is intended to support the pets listed on your application.
Selling food, misrepresenting your household, or dishonest use of the program is not permitted and may result in termination of support.
Do you help with vet bills or medical emergencies?
Lend A Paw Pet Food Foundation 🐾 focuses on pet food support.
We do not typically cover veterinary bills, emergency care, medication, or medical procedures, but we may be able to refer you to other resources in the community.
How can I donate?
Donations keep bowls full 🥣❤️
You can support Lend A Paw by:
Dropping off pet food at one of our partner locations
Making a monetary donation
Hosting a pet food drive
Supporting a fundraiser
Partnering with us as a business or community group
Monetary donations are especially helpful because they allow us to purchase the food we need most when specific supplies are low.
Can I e-transfer a donation?
Yes. We gratefully accept e-transfers at:
Can I get a tax receipt for my donation?
Yes. Lend A Paw Pet Food Foundation 🐾 is now a registered charity.
Eligible monetary donations over $20 can receive an official charitable tax receipt. Please make sure your full name and email address are included with your donation so we can issue your receipt properly.
How can my business partner with Lend A Paw?
We love partnering with local businesses 🐾
Ways to help include:
Hosting a donation bin
Sponsoring a campaign
Matching donations
Contributing pet food or supplies
Hosting a fundraising event
Supporting our silent auction or community events
Please contact us through our website and we’ll be happy to connect.
How can I volunteer?
We’re always looking for kind humans to join our pack 🐾
Volunteer roles may include:
Sorting and organizing donations
Helping with food distribution
Driving deliveries
Supporting special events
Helping with food drives
Assisting behind the scenes
Visit our Volunteer page or contact us to learn more.
How do I contact you?
The best way to reach us depends on what you need.
If you need pet food assistance, please use the Assistance Request Form on our website. This helps us keep requests organized and ensures nothing gets missed.
For general questions, donations, partnerships, or volunteering, you can contact us at:
You can also message us through our social media platforms.
Please note that we are volunteer-run, so response times may vary, but we will reply as soon as we can. 🐾🥣
