Animal lovers unite: nearly 12 tonnes of dry dog and cat food collected during SPAR Hungary’s and the National Animal Welfare Foundation’s pet food donation campaign

A significant amount of pet food was collected during the sixth joint pet food donation campaign organised by SPAR Hungary and the National Animal Welfare Foundation. During the “Paw in Trouble!” (Mancs a bajban!) initiative, held in INTERSPAR stores on 16-17 May 2026, customers donated nearly 12 tonnes of dry dog and cat food to support animals cared for by civil animal welfare organisations. In addition, SPAR contributed a further HUF 1 million in support of animal welfare.

Animal lovers from across the country joined the weekend collection effort: shoppers were able to donate pet food and other useful animal care products selected during their shopping to volunteers representing participating organisations in INTERSPAR stores. The collected donations were delivered directly to animal welfare organisations, where they provide essential support for day-to-day care. Initiatives like this are crucial, as the donated food often covers the animals’ daily needs for an extended period, allowing organisations to dedicate more attention and resources to veterinary care and the development of their shelters.

During this year’s “Paw in Trouble!” pet food donation weekend, INTERSPAR customers provided a substantial amount of support for animals living under the care of animal welfare organisations. For dogs, more than 9 tonnes of dry food, 5,530 tins and pouches of wet food, and 382 dog salamis were donated. For cats, customers contributed nearly 2.5 tonnes of dry food, 11,100 tins and pouches of wet food, as well as almost 1.1 tonnes of cat litter. In addition, a large quantity of animal care equipment and cleaning products was collected.

“Once again, our customers’ participation has shown that animal welfare is an important cause for many people in Hungary. It is of great value to SPAR Magyarország that the community so actively supports the work of animal welfare organisations. The donations collected provide genuine assistance in the organisations’ day-to-day activities,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary

This year, more than 30 civil animal welfare organisations accepted customer donations in INTERSPAR stores.

“For us, a collection like this means far more than a simple donation. Animal welfare organisations often operate with very limited resources, so every single bag of food or tin of pet food provides real help in caring for the animals. We are grateful to everyone who took the time and care to contribute towards improving the living conditions of rescued dogs and

cats,” emphasised Katalin Schreiter, spokesperson for the National Animal Welfare Foundation.

In addition to this campaign, customers in SPAR and INTERSPAR stores can meet and support civil animal welfare organisations throughout the year on a month-by-month basis through further donation initiatives. Information about the locations and dates of upcoming collections is available on SPAR’s dedicated online platform: www.sparafenntarthatojovoert.hu/mancsabajban.