July 6 (Day 128) Bountiful Bowls

Because of the downturn in the economy, many pet owners are feeling the pressure - and many pets are becoming homeless. Many families just cannot afford to care for their pets any longer. They may have lost their jobs or homes and are forced into new living arrangements which causes them to make the painful decision to surrender their pet to a shelter. 

I can't imagine having to turn over my dog....I would be heartbroken.  Although today's post is specific to my area, please contact your local animal shelter, as many shelters have similar programs to help families keep their pets! There is a way to help, please help if you can!

 

For the month of July, Huron Valley Humane Society is holding their Bountiful Bowls Food Drive. Now through July 31st, there are ten different local locations where you can donate food to the HSHV Bountiful Bowls Food Program and help keep local pets with their owners during these tough times.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley understands that financial difficulty often means making a list of priorities. Frequently, animals are forced to be low on that list. HSHV's Bountiful Bowls pet food assistance program helps Washtenaw County, Canton and Plymouth residents who are having difficulty meeting the nutritional needs of their dog or cat due to financial burden. Trying times can be temporary. With a little assistance, a pet owner can often find a way to keep their pet in their home.


The Bountiful Bowls Pet Food Assistance Program was started by HSHV to help people that need assistance for a short period of time. We are distributing around 2,500 pounds of food each month to 232 families in need. This includes donations we take to Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels who transport the pet food to homebound seniors and people with disabilities. We also work with Food Gatherers to transport pet food to the Manchester Family Services food distribution each month.

Overall, we are consistently coming up short of cat food. The majority of our recipients have multiple cats, so 60% of the food we distribute is cat food. Only 54% of the food we receive is cat food, so we often need to buy cat food to meet the needs of the recipients.

HSHV recommends using/donating cat & dog food that has protein as the #1 ingredient on the list. Examples of good pet food: IAMS, Hills, ProPlan, Eukanuba, Purina, Nutro, Nutro Max, Nutro Max Gourmet, Classics, Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Ultra, Canidae Pet Food, Royal Canin, Pedigree, Fancy Feast.

How Can You Help?

Donations of pet food for this program comes from different sources which includes private citizens & local stores. Donations can be dropped off anytime during normal adoption hours at the Shelter.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to support this important program, please click here.

Click here for a list of drop off locations.

HSHV will accept the following donated food: 

• Dog and cat food in the original unopened bag within 3 months after the expiration date  
• Dog and cat food in the original opened bag within 3 months after the expiration date, providing it is free of bugs or rodent waste

Source: hvhs.org