Like it or not, we Americans love our cats and dogs and treat them like part of the family. For some Americans, their pet IS their family. And, in these difficult economic times, it is heartbreaking to think that people have to make a choice between feeding themselves and feeding their pet. And so many people, who have worked for their entire lives and never imagined needing food stamps or having to get food at a food pantry, are forced to make some dreadful decisions about their pets.
That is why I created the Animal Relief Fund (ARF!) in November, 2008. I started by delivering pet food to several people-food pantries in New York City as an experiment to see if pet-food distribution at people-food pantries was a viable concept. The pet food distribution was such a success that ARF expanded to Long Island in partnership with Long Island Cares, the food bank for Nassau and Suffolk Counties. We now have pet food available at over 80 pantries on Long Island. We are actively working to expand our network in New York City.
When a family is hungry, there is more often than not a pet that is going hungry too. By making pet food available to people at people-food pantries, we are trying to work proactively to avoid more pet abandonments. So many people are too proud to ask for help, but I have been told by pantry managers that when people hear that pet food is available at a local pantry, they will go to the pantry for their pets. And once they get into the pantry system, there is a better chance that they will avail themselves of the other services that the pantries have to offer, such as job counseling, clothing, haircuts and job training services. So it’s a win-win all around.
And when someone is down and out, that’s the worst time to have to give up your pet!
Susan
Founder and President
The Animal Relief Fund
www.arf-ny.org
