'Paws-up' as shop donates cat food to dog charity

A national pet retailer has apologised after it donated a van full of cat food and litter to a Cornish dog charity.

Former police dog handler Dave Wardell, who runs German Shepherd Rescue Elite (GSRE), thanked Pets at Home for its donation but joked about the dogs barking with "a slightly feline accent".

A spokesperson for Pets at Home said: "Sending a pallet meant for cats to a German Shepherd rescue was definitely a paws-up!"

Mr Wardell said he had passed the cat food and litter on to five cat rescue organisations in Cornwall.

He said: "Now, we love all animals, but try telling a German Shepherd that their dinner is chicken and tuna in jelly and their bed now smells like a giant litter tray.

"We're just waiting for the dogs to start a riot.

"Demands so far are more sausages, fewer cats and someone to explain what a 'Meow Mix' is!"

The Pets at Home spokesperson said: "While the dogs were understandably unimpressed by the surprise feline menu, we're so grateful to the team at GSRE for seeing the funny side, and we're already putting things right with a fresh delivery of canine-approved supplies."

On a more serious note, Mr Wardell thanked Pets at Home for being "so generous" and saving the Callington-based charity "so much money".

The retailer said its charitable arm, the Pets Foundation, had donated more than 1,670 pallets of pet products to help pets in need to date.

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