Previous research has focused on the benefits and difficulties of pet ownership in people, who are experiencing homelessness. However, many pet services, such as pet food banks, serve a more varied population of people. Furthermore, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has not been documented within the context of pet food banks. Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) population comprises a notable proportion of the city's overall population and has a high density of people who are experiencing financial hardships, but some of whom do not always experience homelessness. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the number of clients and pets that are being serviced by a pet food bank, whether that has changed over time, and if it was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed available attendance and service records from The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals pet food bank between 2013 and 2020. We found that a median of 100 clients attended the food bank each week and that most of the companion animals serviced were cats (72.5%), then followed by dogs (25.2%), and rats (1.2%). Servicing was not consistent over time, with a weekly pattern of decreased attendance every fourth week of the month, which coincided with income assistance payments. This suggests that either servicing needs are decreased with income assistance or that the week of the month may present an access to care challenge. We also observed a decrease in the clientele attending in 2020 compared to previous years, suggesting an effect of COVID-19. Specifically, this trend was present for cats, rats, rabbits, and “other” companion animals, but not for dogs; the number of dog owners receiving services did not change in 2020, suggesting a difference between needed services in dog vs. other pet owners. The yearly trends shed light on the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations, highlighting the need for additional support through times of crisis. Overall, the data show a complex relationship between pet service provision and other community issues and highlight the need to consider pet food banks within the greater social services networks.

以前的研究主要关注无家可归的人养宠物的好处和困难。然而，许多宠物服务，例如宠物食品银行，服务于更多样化的人群。此外，尚未在宠物食品银行的背景下记录 COVID-19 大流行的影响。温哥华市中心东区 (DTES) 的人口占该市总人口的显着比例，并且有大量经济困难的人，但其中一些人并不总是无家可归。本研究的目的是了解宠物食品银行为客户和宠物提供服务的数量，是否随时间发生变化，以及是否受到 COVID-19 大流行的影响。我们分析了 2013 年至 2020 年不列颠哥伦比亚省防止虐待动物协会宠物食品银行提供的出勤和服务记录。我们发现，每周有 100 名客户参加食品银行，而且大多数接受服务的伴侣动物是猫 (72.5%)，其次是狗 (25.2%) 和老鼠 (1.2%)。随着时间的推移，服务并不一致，每个月的第四周出勤率每周下降，这与收入援助付款相吻合。这表明服务需求会因收入援助而减少，或者一个月中的一周可能会面临获得护理的挑战。我们还观察到，与前几年相比，2020 年参加的客户有所减少，这表明 COVID-19 的影响。具体来说，这种趋势存在于猫、老鼠、兔子、和“其他”伴侣动物，但不适用于狗；2020 年接受服务的狗主人数量没有变化，这表明狗与其他宠物主人所需服务之间存在差异。年度趋势揭示了 COVID-19 对弱势群体的影响，突出了在危机时期提供额外支持的必要性。总体而言，数据显示了宠物服务提供与其他社区问题之间的复杂关系，并强调了在更大的社会服务网络中考虑宠物食品银行的必要性。强调在危机时期需要额外支持。总体而言，数据显示了宠物服务提供与其他社区问题之间的复杂关系，并强调了在更大的社会服务网络中考虑宠物食品银行的必要性。强调在危机时期需要额外支持。总体而言，数据显示了宠物服务提供与其他社区问题之间的复杂关系，并强调了在更大的社会服务网络中考虑宠物食品银行的必要性。