Pet food banks to get big boost from new Petco drive

When the Petco Foundation launches its national food bank drive for the holiday season Friday, Tom Wargo is going to be one happy man.


He knows the contributions will mean he doesn't have to turn away as many people who can't afford to feed their pets. Wargo is the director of Daffy's Pet Soup Kitchens in Georgia. He says when he started his soup kitchen in 1997, people referred to him as the "crazy dog food guy." He's a hero to thousands now.


"The idea is to help families feed their pets so they don't have to take them to shelters,'' said Petco Foundation executive director Tom Jolly. "The food banks are really filling a need in the communities now.''


Petco stores have bins where shoppers can drop off cans and sealed bags of food for cats and dogs as well as kitty litter.


Why pet food banks? One in eight families is taking part in food banks, according to the Petco Foundation, and many of these families also have pets who need food. Petco started the program in March. Its stores partner with a local food bank or animal welfare group to donate pet food and litter directly to economically stressed consumers in that store's community. The initiative has already provided more than 110 tons of pet food and litter to those in need. But pets continue to end up in shelters. Keeping pets healthy and out of the shelters during the holidays is a key goal.

"Petco's contributions to us are helping in more ways than one,'' says Wargo, adding when people come to the food banks, he and other volunteers get a chance to open conversations about spay and neuter programs. Again, fewer animals for the shelters. "We help them find affordable veterinary care,'' he says.

Families visit the food banks once a month and pick up enough food for two pets.

"It's really the perfect point of contact for families to learn about caring for pets,'' says Jolly. "Also research shows a fixed animal is likely to stay in a home because they are a greater value to the owner."

Jolly says many of the stores will have a can of food at the register that can be purchased and adding to the food bin. The stores can tell customers or those in need which food bank or shelter is serving their area.

READERS: What a great effort this is to help families and pets stay together. Any contribution helps, including foods for senior pets and pets requiring special diets. Right now, it's just for cats and dogs. Here's another story about a volunteer who helps collect and distribute food for cats in Oregon.

Teaming up to help shelter animals

By Hilary Dickinson
hdickinson@beloitdailynews.com
Published: Monday, December 28, 2009 3:44 PM CST
ROCKFORD — Not long ago at the Winnebago County Animal Shelter, many of the animals sat on concrete with not much to do.

Then 12-year-old Corey Lawson teamed up with Backyard Grill & Bar to earn $600 and two truckloads of food and toys.

“It was a big success. I loved going over to the shelter and seeing how they really put (the donations) to good use,” Lawson said. “All the dogs and cats had new beds and new toys in their cages. It was really nice to see.”

Now Lawson has teamed up again with the restaurant to this time collect items for the PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) Humane Society in Rockford.

Running until Thursday, Backyard Grill & Bar will collect supplies and donations at all three locations (Roscoe, Loves Park and Cherry Valley).

Customers can bring in supplies for the animals or color in a paw to give a monetary donation. The colored-in paw will then be hung up in the restaurant. The restaurant will in turn give out one of four coupons for these customers.

“Since I had so much fun last year and it was such a success, why not keep doing it?” Lawson asked.

Lawson originally decided to start this fundraiser last year as part of a community service project in his sixth grade social studies class at Roscoe Middle School.

“I love animals, and I wanted to help the homeless animals,” he said. He added that his first thought was to volunteer at the Winnebago County Animal Shelter, but was not old enough. “So, I thought about it and decided to help out homeless animals in another way.”

In addition to the $600, toys, beds, blankets and food, the animal shelter also was able to purchase more land to extend the runs, he said.

“They were also able to use the money we got to go to a spaying and neutering fund, so fewer animals are going to be on the street getting run over and whatnot,” Lawson said.

This year, however, he decided to donate to the PAWs Humane Society because he said he wants to give good donations to every place that helps animals.

Though not quite a teenager, Lawson said he wants to help shelters because he knows donations are down because of the economic downturn.

When he grows up, Lawson said he still wants to help animals by becoming a scientist who develops medicine for people and animals.

In the meantime, however, he is focused on helping the PAWS Humane Society.

“The place is kind of overflowing with animals right now and adoptions would be good,” Lawson said. “If you’re looking for some sort of pet or animal or some sort of friend, this is the place to go.”

Socks, Clintons’ Abandoned Cat, Finally Dies

Socks the Cat, sorta beloved pet of the Clintons, died on Friday in the care of retired Clinton secretary Bettie Currie. And why was Currie watching over Socks? Because when Bill Clinton left the White House for New York, he brought along newer pet Buddy the Dog, who was soon run over and crushed to death by a car. Socks was supposedly going to live in Hillary’s fancy new house in Washington, but Hillary was never quite “ready” to allow her own pet — a helpless animal — to move to Georgetown. So poor old Socks was stuck with Mrs. Currie, or poor old Mrs. Currie was stuck with Socks. But at least they were no longer stuck with the Clintons, the end.