STAFF at a Kidderminster pet store are encouraging residents to support an appeal to help ensure abandoned animals aren’t forgotten this Christmas.

Colleagues at Pets at Home are collecting donations for the annual Santa Paws Appeal – run by the charity Support Adoption For Pets – to provide abandoned pets with a meal during the festive season.

Since December 1, the store, on Crossley Retail Park, has been inviting customers to make a donation to benefit a needy pet at a local animal rescue.

With only a few days left, colleagues at the Kidderminster store are reminding customers that a 50p donation in store will buy a Christmas dinner for a rescue pet – with all money donated during the appeal going to supply much-needed food over the festive period.

Katharine White, store manager, said: “At this time of year, we see lots of customers buying treats for their own pets to make sure they have a special Christmas.

“But not every pet is lucky enough to spend Christmas in a loving forever home and that’s why we are supporting the Santa Paws appeal again this year.

“There is still time to help us provide millions of meals for rescue pets across the UK and give them the Christmas they deserve.”

Last year, colleagues from Pets at Home stores around the country raised more than £1 million to provide more than two million meals for pets being cared for in UK re-homing centres and the retailer is aiming to beat that this year.