Thursday July 17th 2025
St Mary's Church Pet Foodbank
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
St Mary’s Church in Dalkeith Country Park hosts a monthly pet food bank, providing free pet food to anyone who stops by in need.
Working alongside Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home they have been running the foodbank monthly for almost three years, helping around 30 cats and 30 dogs every session. They offer help to everyone who is struggling to feed their pets alongside a comfortable and friendly place to have a seat with a free cup or tea or coffee.
With the church team behind the foodbank being dog owners, they wanted to create a way to reach out and help the Dalkeith community with the awareness that more and more people are struggling with expenisves due to rising costs.
Speaking to a member of the church involved in the foodbank, Retired Reverand Jacqui Rocher, she explained, “It’s because we were trying to think of how we can reach out to the community and how we can open the space to the community. One thing that hit us was the amount of dog walkers who walked past the church”.
Realising the amount of dogs that pass their church alongside all being loving pet oweners, they realised the most impactful way to give back and open up their church doors was to create the foodbank.
Jacqui explained, “So it’s partly about reaching out to people but also creating that awareness. At the time three or four of us were dog owners and we were just aware that everything’s gotten really expensive and people are struggling. So it kind of came together about two and a half, three years ago. So we got in touch with the Edinburgh Dog and Cat home who were just starting up aswell.”
Partnering with Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home allowed St Mary’s Church to follow through with their vision. The home provides 99% of the pet food they provide with donations from the public making up a small portion. They also give people pet essentials, such as toys and jackets, and only take food donations that have not been opened, ensuring the food given is still fresh.
At one of their monthly foodbanks, Reverend Peter Harris explained their relationship with Edinburgh Dog and Cat home and the importance of the service they provide, “Edinburgh Dog and Cat home had started doing satellite food banks and were delighted that we were interested and very much happy to support us and work alongside us. So that partnership started and it has worked well.”
“I very much have a heart for how our church can serve the community. There is a gentle monitoring but we ask no questions. If people come in and are looking for food for their pets, we offer them the food. We take note of how many cats, dogs or whatever we are dealing with and that’s reported back to Edinburgh Dog and Cat home and they ask for a list of what food we would like. We can try and gauge what type of stock we need, the hope is to give it all away.”
Organising the foodbank themselves, Reverend Jenny Godfry receives a bulk of pet food from Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home monthly and organises it herself, storing it in her garage. Any food that is donated that has been opened or the foodbank wont be able to give out, St Mary’s won’t bin it, they will pass it on to another organisation that will use it.
Speaking to Reverand Jenny Godfry, she explained, “I think from our point of view, it’s not only helping people with their economy but it’s about keeping the pet in the family rather than getting rid of the dopg because they can’t feed themeslfs.”
“The last couple of ladies that were in said they wouldn’t survive without us and without the support so we are just giving them that top up which can make all the difference.”
Jacqui agreed, saying, “Some of the folk that we talk to, if they are struggling, they will feed their dog and go hungry themselves. So if we help them with the dog food at least, we’re actually helping to feed them aswell because we relieve them of the worry.”
Pets are an integral part of many people’s family’s, having major positives on people’s mental health and wellbeing. So, being unable to provide for your pet and risking losing them can affect many people.
Reverend Peter highlighted the importance of animals for people’s mental health, “In society, we are a lot more aware of mental health and wellbeing and actually, we probably think of pets as a secondary thing but they offer so much help with mental health and wellbeing. If they can’t afford to feed that pet and have to give up that pet, it’s just another kind of trauma.”
He also expressed his shock surrounding where society is in today’s age, saying, “I think there is a real need out there and we are helping in some way. I would say that it is disgracefull in our society that we have food banks and that we have a pet food bank, to bring people to that point of such need where they’re having to come and ask or seek out.”
“I would love us to not be here, I would love there to not be any foodbanks, but while that need exists, we are trying to help.”
Alongside helping by providing pet food, their monthly foodbank also provides a comfortable space for people to come and socialise with each other and enjoy a free cup of tea or coffee.
“This side of it as well, sitting round a table and talking helps because everyone who comes in we will serve them, you know, a cup of tea and coffee or whatever”, Jacque explained, “Some people will just take the food and go but quite a few now will sit and this sitting down has really developed and the conversations we have around the table are very nice. There’s not a lot of places they can take their dogs in so some bring the dogs and sit down and chat.”
Socialising and building relationships allow them to get to know people and signpost them to other organisations that can help if they are struggling in other areas of life that don’t involve their pets.
Open on the first Tuesday of every month, with the next one being Tuesday 5th August, St Mary’s Church’s Pet Foodbank Bank provides an impactful service that may be a lifeline to someone who is struggling. For more information visit St Leonards and Mary’s Facebook page: StLandM Facebook Page
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