Michael and Amy Le Clerc from Llanwynog, near Caersws are the founders of Powys Pets in Need which has provided over 250,000 free pet meals for residents in the county who are struggling to afford to keep a pet.
The couple have helped hundreds of families to be able to keep their beloved pets at a time when many have had to give theirs to animal shelters.
“We started Powys Pets In Need in 2020 with the outbreak of Covid, and the increase prices of pet food, and hearing many Families were going without food to feed their pets, and some people rehoming their pets, said Michael.
“We decided to send emails to pet food manufacturers asking if they would like to donate pet food with damaged stock or close to sell by dates, we got a lot of donated pet food from many suppliers.”
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Initially the pair were having to do the work on their own but have been wildly successful with the charity becoming a full-time pursuit.
They have got more funding after becoming a registered Charity and with five Trustees and six team members, all of whom are voluntary.
“We used our own funds for fuel for the first year, this was very expensive as we cover the whole of Powys 2,000 square miles,” said Amy.
“Then we have had a load of support with Grant funding for pet food, advertising and fuel from the National Lottery, Postcode Lottery and the Moondance foundation.
“Our driving mission is to reduce the amount of pets being rehomed, as pets are well known for having therapeutic benefits for owners as well as the physical and social benefits of getting people out of the house to exercise and meet people, this aids people’s wellbeing by reducing stress and anxiety over how they will feed their pets.”
The pets they help are not limited to cats and dogs and the couple are looking for more donations to help even more people.
“Since the Charity started in 2020 till now, we have helped 338 Families with Pets,” said Michael “We have donated over 287,000 pet meals, helping Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Horses, Budgies and even a Parrot.
“People can donate pet food, we also take donations of good Bric A Brac as we do boot sales to raise funds, we can also collect donated items. We are also looking for shops, Cafes who will take our collection boxes to try and help us raise funds.”
If you live in Powys need, are on low income and need help with pet food then Powys Pets In Need can help.
You can contact the charity by phone on 07385784394 or email: powyspetsinneed@gmx.co.uk, or on their website: www.powyspetsinneed.com.
You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.
They also get referrals from Citizen Advice, Social Services, Food banks, Job centres, Pablo and many more.
