Donors help Hamilton-Burlington SPCA expand its free pet-food delivery program amid growing need

In late August, the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA had a two-month waitlist for people who urgently needed pet food because there was no dedicated vehicle available for deliveries. Now, thanks to local donors, they have three.

“I think it's incredible to see a [corporation] and an individual come together to both support the same cause,” said Brad Grabell, the HBSPCA’s director of strategy.

“It really feels like the most wholesome way for multiple aspects of the community to come together, to really unite and rally around one cause.” 

One of the vans was donated by the Burlington branch of the vehicle-rental company, Driving Force. A second came from the family foundation of Dr. Liz O’Brien, a Hamilton veterinarian. The third van, according to HBSPCA communications manager Karissa Kugler, was sold by Driving Force to the non-profit at a steep discount.

O'Brien and Bryce Taylor -- Driving Force's Burlington regional manager -- reached out “almost simultaneously,” offering to help, shortly after the need for a new vehicle was made public, the HBSPCA said in a press release.

The charity had found themselves in need of a new van to deliver food for their Pet Pantry program which went from serving around 30,000 meals in 2023-2024 to around three million in 2024-2025.

“It only speaks to the fact that there's so much demand out there and animals that need our help,” said Grabell. 

The HBSPCA has grown “far beyond” their geographic region, said Grabell, and now delivers thousands of pounds of food to places like Halifax, N.S., as well as fly-in-only communities in northern Ontario.

“This program is huge. We don't want it to go away. It needs to be sustainable,” he said.

In addition to that, the need for services like the Pet Pantry have grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting elderly pet owners especially hard.

“The demand was not like this prior to [the pandemic], and obviously nor was the cost of living or the financial pressures that people are facing," said Grabell.

Taylor said he was listening to the news when he heard the call for donations to the HBSPCA. He realized he could help, so he did.

“We reached out and we said ‘we can help, what do you need help with?’ And they said that they need a van and I said that ‘we have lots of vans,’” he said.

Taylor, who has pets of his own and comes from a “pet-focused” family, said he was happy to see an organization like HBSPCA trying to help animals in need.