There’s a relatively new charity in town and it deserves a round of a-paws. Parachutes For Pets, supports humans in need by helping them support their furry companions. In turn, those pets foster their humans’ wellness. Calgarian Melissa David founded the charity in 2019, inspired by the outsized role her own pet had during her recovery from cancer.
The venture started so community members of low income or those facing a financial setback would not have to relinquish or euthanize their pets. “We support the bond between humans and pets,” says Hannah Lintott, operations co-ordinator of Parachutes For Pets Edmonton.
Help humans help their pets
During the pandemic, Parachutes For Pets arranged for food and veterinary care for pets of vulnerable owners, such as seniors and people without steady housing. In the years that followed it helped provide emergency housing for pets displaced by natural disasters such as wildfire. And in May 2025 it opened its doors to an Edmonton location, and Lintott joined in January 2026.
Lintott explains that the organization recognizes that humans and their pets foster each other’s wellness. “Some of our clients are on income support and we can help them by supplying pet food or cat litter,” she says. “Everyone is struggling.” In a time of rising prices, it’s easy to see how difficult owning a pet is on a fixed income.
Get fancy with Lenny McDavid
In support of the charity, a fundraising soiree called No Empty Bowls is taking place on Oct. 2 at Lauren Kyle McDavid’s Bar Trove downtown. Tickets include an evening of drinks and food and a silent auction. Maybe the biggest draw is the opportunity for ticketed guests to have their pictures taken with famed furry celebrity ambassador, mini Bernedoodle Lenny McDavid. (Yes, those McDavids are Lenny’s humans.)
“Proceeds from the event and from the line of merch go to the pet food bank,” Lintott says. The event goes far to build awareness for the charity.
If a champagne-fuelled evening-dress soiree is not on your bucket list there are other ways to support, including shopping at You Thrifty Animal, a pet thrift store run by Parachutes For Pets.
No Empty Bowls Soiree
Downtown | Bar Trove | 10126 100 St NW, Edmonton | Oct. 2, 7 p.m. | parachutesforpetsyeg.com
