Pet food company Wilder Harrier is looking to address a major issue that has come to the forefront in recent months: the rising cost of pet ownership due to inflation and the accompanying trend of pet abandonment.

Pet ownership rose substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many Canadians were locked down at home and sought companionship. But with rising inflation, the cost of supporting their latest family member has become too steep for many. According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), 60% of Canadians reported owning a dog or a cat last year, with dog populations growing from 7.7 to 7.9 million during the pandemic years of 2020 to 2022, while cats climbed from 8.1 to 8.5 million. However, many animal shelters across the country have reported an increase in pet surrenders as the owners of these pandemic pets settle back into ordinary working lives (and the return to the office) while struggling with the rising costs of pet ownership. Some have even been abandoning their pets in public parks.

These are the stories that Wilder Harrier is looking to curb with the launch of a new, creative solution it calls “pet pantries” – essentially, community fridges or pantries, but for pet products.

“As a company, we don’t shy away from telling the truth about pet ownership: the good, the bad, and the gross. But we’re also about providing solutions for pet parents,” says Caitlin Benn, director of brand marketing at the company. “One of the biggest challenges facing all pet owners is inflation, so it felt like a natural step for us to look at the problem and ask, ‘What can we do to help in a way that’s authentic to our brand and our values?'”

The brand quickly identified one driving force behind the problem: inflation on pet food has drastically outpaced that of most groceries. The price of dog food, for example, has jumped by an average of 45.5% in just three years.

Enter the pantries, which Wilder Harrier developed with creative agency Berners Bowie Lee and has set up across Toronto in partnership with three businesses and one private residence. At each of these locations – Black Lab Brewing in Leslieville, Savoury Grounds in the Upper Beach and Tiny’s General Store in Seaton Village, as well as 44 Follis Ave. in the Annex – the company has erected four outdoor pantries and stocked them with food and treats for those who need them.

The company is also encouraging donations of unexpired pet food in sealed, labeled containers, as well as pet waste bags and lightly used or unused toys and leashes. The hope, according to Michael Murray at Berners Bowie Lee, is that communities will support the model and help keep the pantries stocked.

“Inflation is having a profound and often hidden effect on all levels of Canadian society,” explains Murray. “We hope that the pantries help address some of the difficulties that people are facing, and we are hopeful that the community will embrace them and help us grow this project.”

The pantries are backed by a campaign incorporating paid social and PR. Glossy handled PR for the effort, while HelloShaz is handling the digital media buy.