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National pet care charity Blue Cross has joined forces with the Pets At Home store on Portland Retail Park.

The store has become one of the first in the country to act as a community donation and collection point .

People can donate dog, cat, puppy and kitten food, as well as food for small animals, such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters.

One of the pet food donation points that has been set up by Pets At Home and the Blue Cross pet care charity.

This will then be collected by Blue Cross to distribute to local food banks, from where pet-owners in need can collect it.

Chris Burghes, Blue Cross chief executive officer, said: “Pets are part of the family, so we are proud to have partnered with Pets At Home on this scheme. It will have a positive impact on the local community in Mansfield.”

The scheme was welcomed by Susan Dale, manager of the Pets At Home store in Mansfield.

She said: “We are excited to be one of the first stores in the UK to launch the customer donation points.

"I know our customers will donate whatever they can, and I am looking forward to raising awareness of the local causes we are supporting.”

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Pets At Home, which has 450 stores across the country, is the UK’s leading pet care business, which also encompasses the Vets4Pets veterinary healthcare service and The Groom Room grooming service.

Lyssa McGowan, chief executive officer, said: “As the UK continues to experience a rapid rise in the cost of living, we know that pet-owners will do everything they can to ensure their pets don’t miss out.

"But we also understand that some owners may be facing difficult choices as their finances become stretched. 

“Blue Cross and Pets At Home believe no-one should have to face the difficulty of struggling to feed their beloved pets, and we know that our customers are keen to help out wherever they can.

“This is why we are joining forces to install pet food donation points across all our Pets At Home stores in the coming months. We are working together to make sure no pet goes hungry and to help keep them at home where they belong, with their families.”

Pet food donation scheme launched in Mansfield to help hard-up pet-owners