Feeding Pets of the Homeless Leads Eighth National Give a Dog a Bone Pet Food Drive
Carson City, Nev. (PRWEB) July 12, 2017 -- The National Feeding Pets of the Homeless Give a Dog a Bone week returns for its eighth year, August 6-12, 2017. The nonprofit organization Pets of the Homeless, focused exclusively on feeding and providing veterinary care to pets of the homeless, leads the charge across the country to collect pet food from the public.
Homelessness remains a critical issue in many cities even as the economy brightens. Those left in the shadows and on the streets with pets are in need of pet food. Among the homeless population, between 5 and 10 percent – and in some places as many as 24 percent – of homeless people have dogs and/or cats.
Those interested in participating in donating pet food can simply visit petsofthehomeless.org to find the nearest donation site. There are more than 450 pet food member sites across America ready to receive donations for this cause.
Donations of pet food and supplies are distributed to food banks, soup kitchens and homeless shelters, which then give the pet food and supplies to their clients.
"Since 2008, donation site members have taken over 492 tons of pet food and supplies to help pets of homeless people,” said Genevieve Frederick, founder of Pets of the Homeless. “Some of our volunteers take it to the streets and/or camps where the homeless congregate. It is a combined effort to continue year-round collections of pet food.”
As an outreach to the homeless who own pets, Pets of the Homeless, also uses cash donations to provide veterinary care to pets of the homeless at free wellness clinics as well as emergency veterinary care across the country. Surprisingly, over 60 percent of calls to Pets of the Homeless are from homeless women. More than 15,800 pets have been treated.
Feeding Pets of the Homeless also provides support to business owners who wish to give back to their community by becoming a member donation site. Helpful start-up information and donation information are available on the website.
“We applaud the caring, member sites who have reported their contributions,” said Frederick. “The need is great for communities to continue to donate to this ongoing effort."
About Pets of the Homeless:
Pets of the Homeless believes in the healing power of companion pets and of the human-animal bond, which is very important in the lives of many homeless. They find solace, protection and companionship through their pets. They care for their pets on limited resources so they themselves have less. The task, nationwide, is to feed and provide basic emergency veterinary care to their pets and thus relieve the anguish and anxiety of the homeless who cannot provide for their pets. For more information, please visit petsofthehomeless.org.
Chrisie Yabu, KPS3, +1 775-686-7437, [email protected]
Share this article