FAQs

Pets Of The Homeless is a charity that helps to keep vulnerable people and their beloved pets together during times of hardship.

We provide essential support including pet food and supplies, veterinary care, and safe shelter, so that no one has to choose between caring for themselves or their best friend.

We are based in Victoria, Australia.

To learn more, visit our Who We Are page.

Our Virtual Pet Food Drive is an online fundraiser where you can "shop" for pet food to help Pets Of The Homeless supply enough for vulnerable people to feed their pets throughout winter. 

By stocking up your virtual cart with nutritious pet food, you will help us to buy essential pet food in bulk and distribute it through our frontline food relief partners across Victoria.

Instead of donating physical items, you "shop" for pet food products online (like a bag, basket, or pallet). Your contribution is then used to purchase real pet food in bulk for distribution to people and pets in need.

Our Virtual Pet Food Drive is running from 25 May 2026 to midnight on 30 June 2026, making it a perfect time to make your end of financial year tax-deductible gift. 

This is a time when our support is most needed, with the winter period well underway.

With the rising cost of living, more people are struggling to afford essentials including pet food.

Many are skipping meals so their pets don’t go hungry, and demand for support is increasing rapidly. 

Food insecurity is a pressing issue across Australia, and for those struggling to provide for their pets, the consequences extend beyond hunger. Many face the heartbreaking decision to surrender their pets due to feelings of guilt and the inability to meet their needs.

For 11 years, Pets Of The Homeless has helped to keep best friends together. Through our Pet Food Bank, we’ve delivered 3 million meals to pets in need. But the cost of living crisis is pushing more families to the brink and the demand for support is skyrocketing. In the first four months of 2026, we’ve already distributed over 200,000 pet meals - more than we did in the entire year of 2020.

Your donation today can bring warmth and hope to those facing their hardest winter yet.

This year we are aiming to reach our biggest goal yet: 220,974 meals - or $220,974. Why? Because this is how many pet meals we distributed last winter, and we want to ensure that no one goes without.

This will also help us say yes to two more food relief organisations who are waiting to join our current network of 78 community partners across Victoria. 

It’s ambitious, but achieving our target will ensure we can focus all of our efforts on helping people feed their pets. Your support can make a huge difference.

At our Pet Food Bank in Cheltenham, donated or purchased food is repackaged into smaller portions and distributed through our network of 78 community partners across Victoria.

These partners, including soup kitchens, food pantries, and drop-in centres, directly support individuals facing hardship in their local communities. This collaborative approach ensures that anyone in need can access support close to home, extending our reach far beyond our physical location.

Our Pet Food Bank is based in Cheltenham, Victoria, and distributes pet food to a network of 78 Community Partner organisations across the state. These partners then provide pet food directly to people experiencing hardship within their local communities.

Each Community Partner has its own eligibility criteria for accessing support. To receive pet food, you’ll need to contact or visit one of our Community Partners directly.

You can find out more and locate a Community Partner here.

Yes! Pets Of The Homeless is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. So all virtual pet food items or general donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible within Australia. 

A donation receipt will be emailed to you once you donate.

*UPDATE - Gift matching allocation has now been exhausted*

From 15 June 2026 our matching partner, the Petstock Foundation, have pledged to match every gift up to $50,000. This means that every $1 in pet food items added to your virtual cart becomes $2 in real impact. 

So for example:

• $21= $42 buys 2 small bags of pet food to feed 4 pets for a week
• $70 = $140 buys 2 large bags of pet food to feed 20 pets for a week
• $140 = $280 buys 2 baskets of pet food to feed 40 pets for a week
• $280 = $560 buys 2 trolleys of pet food to feed 80 pets for a week

When you checkout your pet food items, your gift will automatically be doubled. 

Once you find the virtual pet food item you want, click the 'VIEW' button. 

A pop-up box with further details will appear, and you can select your quantity and click 'ADD TO CART'. 

Once you select an item, it will be added to your Cart in the top right corner.

Once you select a pet food item, it will then be added to your Shopping Cart. 

To go to the checkout, click on the Shopping Cart icon located in the top right corner of your screen - or you can click here.

You can select as many virtual pet food items as you like!

If you are currently in your Shopping Cart, then select 'CONTINUE SHOPPING' located under the Checkout button to return to the shopping page.

You can choose to make a general donation here if you prefer, and it will still go towards purchasing essential pet food.

Yes - We are also happy to accept donations of unopened and in-date dog and cat food and treats at our Pet Food Bank, located at 84A Keys Road, Cheltenham.

We are open for donation drop-offs from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

To learn more about what we are able to accept, click here.

You can donate by either selecting virtual pet food items, or choosing your own donation amount further down the page. 

Your donation will then be added to our overall fundraising total. 

Yes! Pets Of The Homeless is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. So all virtual pet food items and general donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible within Australia. 

A donation receipt will be emailed to you once you donate.

*UPDATE - Gift matching allocation has now been exhausted*

From 15 June 2026 our matching partner, the Petstock Foundation, have pledged to match every donation dollar for dollar up to $50,000. This means that every $1 you donate becomes $2 in real impact. 

So for example:

• $21= $42 buys 2 small bags of pet food to feed 4 pets for a week
• $70 = $140 buys 2 large bags of pet food to feed 20 pets for a week
• $140 = $280 buys 2 baskets of pet food to feed 40 pets for a week
• $280 = $560 buys 2 trolleys of pet food to feed 80 pets for a week

We are deeply grateful to our matching partner, the Petstock Foundation, who matched up to $50,000 to support our Virtual Pet Food Drive. 

The Petstock Foundation is a registered charity that exists to empower a better future for pets and people by strengthening the bond between them. Since its inception in 2007, the Foundation has raised more than $16 million to date and has found homes for more than 41,000 rescue pets.

If you would prefer to donate via bank transfer, please use the below details. Please note that your donation will not automatically be added to our overall Virtual Pet Food Drive tally.

When you make your EFT deposit, please email donation@petsofthehomeless.org.au with your name, donation date and amount so we can send you a tax deductible receipt and add your donation to our Pet Food Drive tally.

Please note that receipts will be issued to you the month following your donation.

Bank: ANZ

Acc Name: Pets of the Homeless Ltd

BSB: 013472

Acc No: 300315346

Yes - We are also happy to accept donations of unopened and in-date dog and cat food and treats at our Pet Food Bank, located at 84A Keys Road, Cheltenham.

We are open for donation drop-offs from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

To learn more about what we are able to accept, click here.

We are happy to accept donations of brand new or pre-loved pet supplies including toys, collars, leashes and more, as long as they are washed and in good condition.

Please click here to find out what we can and can’t take.

Donations can be dropped off to our Pets Of The Homeless HQ, located at 84A Keys Road, Cheltenham. We are open for donation drop-offs from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 

Yes - you can become our Pet Food Pal and host your very own Virtual Pet Food Drive! A few clicks is all it takes to set up your fundraising page.

For more information, visit our Fundraise page. 

Go to our Fundraise page and you'll be prompted to fill in your details (name, email, etc), set up your online fundraising page. 

Once registered, you’ll receive more information and your very own fundraising page link to share with your friends and family. 

You can login to the Fundraising Portal here using the email address and password you set up when you registered. 

Once you're logged in you can edit your profile photo, text, make updates, and share your link on socials.

Yes! From 15 June 2026 our matching partner, the Petstock Foundation, have pledged to match every donation dollar for dollar up to $50,000 - and that includes on your fundraising page. This means that every $1 you raise becomes $2 in real impact. 

So for example:

• $21= $42 buys 2 small bags of pet food to feed 4 pets for a week
• $70 = $140 buys 2 large bags of pet food to feed 20 pets for a week
• $140 = $280 buys 2 baskets of pet food to feed 40 pets for a week
• $280 = $560 buys 2 trolleys of pet food to feed 80 pets for a week

When someone donates on your page, their gift will automatically be doubled. 

Yes! All virtual pet food and donations you raise via your fundraising page from 25 May to 30 June will be added to our overall Virtual Pet Food Drive tally.

You can see how your efforts compare to others by checking out our Pet Food Pal Leaderboard at the bottom of this page. 

They sure will! When people give through your fundraising page within Australia, they receive a tax-deductible receipt from Pets Of The Homeless. 

You can find our Virtual Pet Food Drive fundraisers here. 

Yes! You can set up fundraising team and encourage collective giving to maximise your impact.

When you set up your fundraising page, you will be asked if you want to set up a team. Select 'Yes' and you will be set up a with a link to share with others so they can join your team.