Eight years ago today, the St. Thomas Dog Owners Association started a pet food bank. Here is my St. Thomas Dog Blog, Dec. 31, 2010 post about it. I’ve removed business names etc. because, like our cat and poodle in the pics, sadly some are no longer with us.
The cupboard is open!
As of today, there are seven local pet stores and services that are accepting donations of pet food for The Caring Pet Cupboard. BFI Canada donated bins to us, we put signs on them and they’re in place. Yippee!
We’re working with the Caring Cupboard Food Bank (at 803 Talbot Street). We’ll pick up the food from the bins and take it to the Caring Cupboard. Then they will distribute it to those who need it for their pets.
Look for our logo
Look for our logo and buy an extra can or bag of food, or take in any you’ve got at home and don’t use. You can also put (unopened) pet food donations in the regular Caring Cupboard donation boxes found in grocery stores and other businesses around town.
The reason for us doing this is dogs being dumped by their owners because they can’t afford to feed them any more. That’s heartbreaking. Wouldn’t it be better if dogs – and cats and other pets – could stay with the people they love and who love them?
There is certainly a need for basic economic help for people. Food bank usage is up across Ontario and in St. Thomas. The closing of factories in St. Thomas has been hard on the town, and in 2011 there’s going to be another one – a big one. When Ford closes, we’re all going to feel it. Pets, unfortunately, are kind of like the canary in the coal mine – they are first to suffer from economic trouble.
Food bank for people and pets
If there’s need of food banks for people who can’t afford food for themselves and their families, why shouldn’t there be food banks for the animals who are part of those families? It was that simple question that led to the Caring Pet Cupboard.
Brian Burley, manager of the Caring Cupboard, told me that they can give pet food to those who need it. And people don’t have to go through the client registration process for it. Also they can accept donations of pet food.
The only thing the food bank cannot do is use cash donations they receive to purchase pet food. But the STDOA can! Your cash donations will be used to buy good quality dog and cat food for the Caring Cupboard shelves. We’ll buy (and accept donations of) hamster, bird and snake food too if there’s a need for it.
Let’s start the new year with a resolution to stop the abandoning and surrendering of pets because of a simple lack of food – one bag or can of food at a time. It’s not a big thing to do, but it could make a huge difference to a lot of families and their pets. Please help.
See Half a ton of pet food for how our first few months went. In case the title isn’t spoiler enough, they went great!
