Petshop Science and Montego Pet Nutrition have set a Guinness World Record for the largest donation of pet food collected in a 24-hour period, amounting to 67 200 kg, at Bloem Show in Bloemfontein over the past weekend.

The total surpassed the previous record of 36 750 kg, set in the United States in 2023.

The record attempt ran from Friday, 1 May at 17:00 to Saturday at 17:00, with Guinness World Records officials verifying each donation and independently witnessing the process before confirming the final total.

All donations collected will be distributed to eight registered animal welfare organisations in the Free State, which includes the Virginia SPCA, with additional allocations to shelters in other provinces.

Trevor Paxton, general manager for Petshop Science, said a record was one thing, but what matters is where the food was going and the difference it would make.

Johan van Jaarsveld, managing director at Montego Pet Nutrition, said the record gave the companies an opportunity to highlight the dedication of people who run animal rescues.

The food collected for the record is donated in addition to the R3,3 million worth of pet food and accessories Petshop Science donated to 35 animal welfare organisations across South Africa in the past financial year.