ARTICLE: Pet Food Banks and Donating Pet Food Freely: Making a Difference for Pets in These Hard Economic Times

©IMAGE SOURCE~MELANIE NEER

PHOTO OF MY CABINET STORED WITH CAT FOOD

Article was originally published on Associated Content (Yahoo.voices) May 13, 2009 a website that no longer exists

ABSTRACT: More and more people are feeling the economic pinch, and unfortunately many have had to decide whether or not to keep their beloved pet.

CONTENT: Everyone knows that with the current economic crises that has been going on for sometime now times are tough for just about everyone. Left and right, people are losing their homes due to foreclosure, or are laid off from work and the food money budget just doesn't seem to stretch as it used to. And while, at least for now, gas prices have gone down considerably, people aren't using their cars as often as they used to, and many have given up on the idea of such luxuries as taking a vacation, and will opt for the new concept of the "staycation".

Unfortunately, it's not only people suffering in these economic times, but the family pet as well. People who have been laid off from work are finding it harder and harder to keep their beloved pet and will often give up their pet to a shelter, not because they are heartless or cruel, but they just plain cannot afford their pets anymore. Probably the hardest hit group of people are the disabled or elderly, in which quite often their pets are their only companion, yet since both groups of people live on fixed incomes they are finding it harder and harder to feed their pet.

I first heard of this story awhile ago of one person, that is Tom Wargo, who is making a difference. Eight years ago, Tom Wargo found a stray dog on a construction site where he worked and of whom he named Daffy. Being the pet lover he is, he kept Daffy, despite the high costs involved as it turned out Daffy was diabetic and not only had to have special prescription type dog food, but medications such as insulin. Being a die-hard pet lover all his life, Tom Wargo had already been donating pet food to his local church for some eleven years. Then when Daffy came along and due to the recognition of the high cost of keeping his own dog, he realized other pet owners might have been feeling the economic pinch of keeping a pet, and then expanded the idea of setting up his own pet food bank for all in need of pet food and supplies. Thus in September of 2008 in his hometown of Lawrenceville, Georgia the first pet food bank was created and called Daffy's Pet Soup Kitchen One can see a wonderful video story all about Tom Wargo and his wonderful concept in the pet food soup kitchen here Daffy's Pet Soup Kitchen became so popular he realized that one pet soup kitchen wasn't enough, and more and more pet food banks were opened up in other areas of Georgia. His pet soup kitchen concept is now expanding nationwide. One of the requirements Mr. Wargo has set up with his pet food bank program is the idea of pay it forward, that is, when a pet owner comes by for free pet food, they have to reciprocate and pay it forward, usually by donating their time several hours a month either at the food pantry by helping in distributing the pet food to people or some other worthy charitable organization.

As I began to research more and more however, I realized that Tom Wargo wasn't the only one who has had the idea of establishing pet food banks. In fact, pet food banks are quite literally springing up all over the country. Some of these pet food banks are incorporated in normal food banks designed to help people in need of extra food, such as the South County Outreach food pantry in Lake Forest, California, in which Dr. Jim Gardner started by donating pet food there. Other pet food banks are solely and only pet food banks running with the same concept as Tom Wargo's one. Even the well known Meals on Wheels Association of America, known for distributing food for needy senior citizens has also incorporated donating pet food via their We All Love Our Pets.

One of the most amazing stories about how people are helping pets is the story of a little girl, named Mimi Ausland, who lives in Bend, Oregon. At the mere age of nine, having always been a pet lover, she wanted to work at her local animal shelter, but being so young she could only volunteer her time. She witnessed first hand the hardship her local shelter had in getting pet food donations to feed the shelter's dogs, who by no fault of their own, where often given up by their pet owners due to the foreclosure crises. Wanting to do more to help out, Amy, with the help of her father, came up with the idea of developing a website called Freekibble.com This website has trivia questions about dogs and cats that people can answer on a daily basis, and for every question, even if guessed wrong, 10 pieces of dry pet food kibble is donated, by special arrangement of Castor & Pollux pet food not only toward Amy's nearby shelter, but other pet shelters as well. One can see a few videos about this remarkable girl and how she came up with her concept here. One can sign up at the Freekibble website to get daily email reminders to go to the site, answer the trivia questions of the day, and feel good that by answering the questions, right or wrong, you are helping in a worthy cause in helping pets at shelters. Lastly, I have to mention briefly another website where, by clicking on a banner one will also help out in donating pet food at shelters, and this is The Animal Rescue Site and again, as with the Freekibble website, one can sign up to get daily email reminders to click the banner.

Do you know a pet owner or are you yourself feeling the economic pinch during these times and are having hardships and concerns about feeding a beloved pet companion and hate the idea that you may have to give up that pet ? If so, simply do a google search for a pet food bank and include the location of where you are at, and chances are you'll discover one near you. If not, go to Tom Wargo's Daffy Pet Soup Kitchen site, which does list a phone number, and while the main kitchen is based in Georgia, they might be able to help you find such a pet food soup kitchen in your area. Also, do you yourself want to help out by donating pet food, without spending a cent? Then go to the Freekibble website and answer those trivia questions, or The Animal Rescue Site and you'll have the satisfaction, that in a small way, you too are helping shelter pets in need with donated food.

Daffy's Pet Food Bank

Daffy's Pet Food Bank

Video Story About Daffy's Pet Food Bank

More articles about Pet Food Banks

Food Pantries

Articles About Free Kibble

Freekibble Website