I know CFC volunteers and supporters are always on the lookout for other ways to help all those pets which they can’t adopt. One wonderful opportunity is to help feed the pets of families who may be struggling a bit financially.
By helping these individuals and families feed their pets, you are truly helping the people as well. We all know that nothing gets you through the rough patches in life, like a furry side-kick. Imagine having to choose between paying bills or feeding your pet. No one should ever be faced with that choice!
If you’d like to help out, there is a growing trend among food pantries to stock pet food. Having volunteered at a food pantry myself, I did see that they’d stock the shelves with whatever donations they received. The only requirement was that the product was not expired and the packaging was not opened. If they received unopened pet food, then a section would be set up for clients to choose food for their cat or dog.
An easy way to get started is to Google “pet food pantry” and the name of your city. Living near Chicago, this search produced a list of eight places where I would be able to donate pet food. Less populated areas may not have as many choices nearby, but food can always be shipped (maybe even directly from an online retailer!).
Some animal shelters provide food to the pets of local residents who are facing a financial need. So if you have a great animal shelter near you, it might be worth checking to see if they’ll accept pet food to distribute, as needed, to families. Another option is to visit the website www.saveourpetsfoodbank.org. This site provides a list, by state, of shelters which will accept and distribute pet food. This group has helped hundreds of thousands of families and given out over 1 million pounds of pet food!
Remember, the pets you are helping are likely helping their “people” through a very difficult time. What a blessing it is to help people, and their pets, in such a meaningful and easy way!