Animal food bank under strain

There is too much demand at the animal food banks in The Netherlands. The foundation Collection Bank Animals Netherlands told Metro that the number of people paying weekly visits to the animal food bank has doubled in the last three months.

In the last month, five new animal food banks have had to connect themselves with the Collection Bank. According to Mika van Putten of the Bank, there are varying reasons for people to come to the food banks.

"These are people who have been fired, are in debt or have a small pension", Van Putten says.

Amsterdam opened its first food bank for animals at the start of this year. Anneke van den Berg (62) provides food to owners of dogs and cats as well as other animals. She does this from her flat on the Loenermark in Amsterdam-North.

The Collection Bank for Animals Netherlands provides Van den Berg with most of the food she is able to give out to people.

Van den Berg's Facebook page states that she has a chronic lack of cat food, and is calling on people to donate food. "More and more clients come who have cats. I don't ask for much, at Albert Heijn you can get 2 kilos for 2.29 euro. Look in your heart and think of the animals."