The Lac La Biche Regional Humane Society has been using donated Halloween pumpkins to make puree for shelter animals with upset stomachs.
MJ Siebold of the Humane Society stated that staff feed the puree to both dogs and cats, usually mixing it with a bland GI (gastrointestinal) general pet food. Pumpkin puree is a soft food that is high in fibre and water, and therefore easier on an animal’s digestive system.
“It is very high in an easily digestible fibre which tends to help them feel full without upsetting their GI tract any further,” Siebold told Lakeland This Week.
Given the stress that living in the shelter can cause animals, especially for new intakes, it isn’t uncommon to see digestive upset in dogs and cats. Further, most of the rescues taken in by the animal shelter are strays who have been eating garbage or whatever they can find, which she says is another common cause of tummy troubles.
As for how this puree is made, as Siebold explains, the Lac La Biche Regional Humane Society looks for volunteers to scoop out the guts from pumpkins, then cut the ‘meat’ of the pumpkins into chunks. The cut-up pumpkin is pureed, sealed in snack-sized plastic bags, or frozen in muffin tins and bagged in the shelter’s freezer.
Frozen pumpkin puree 'muffins,' she said, are the perfect size for quick thawing and tend to get used up with zero waste when the shelter has rescues with upset stomachs. She added that donors with the time and energy can also chop, puree or freeze pumpkins themselves and bring it into the shelter.
According to Siebold, the idea of having community residents donate pumpkins to be used to feed dogs and cats at the shelter came about in 2023. The Humane Society, she said, goes through a large quantity of pumpkin puree, which can be very expensive, usually costing a minimum of $6 per can.
“So last year, when I saw all the seasonal jack-o-lanterns coinciding with many of my friends giving pumpkins away, I thought maybe people might appreciate having a place to take their surplus pumpkins to where they can be of great use and give many animals some relief from very tender tummies,” she said.
“Last year was our first outreach and we received enough pumpkin to fill our fridge freezer about halfway, which definitely saved us some money and allowed us to feed local pumpkin to our rescues in need for a few months.”
The pumpkin donation initiative has garnered a considerable amount of support from the community. It is a program that many people can participate in without having to spend a lot of money, while at the same time making a significant impact for rescues at the shelter.
It also diverts waste from landfills.
“We are always amazed, and incredibly grateful for the kindness our supporters show us,” she stated. “We will continue to accept fresh pumpkins for as long as they come in.”
