INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Last year the Humane Society of Vero Beach provided assistance to more than 2,000 families through its pet food bank program, according to Ilka Daniel, director of animal protective services at the Humane Society.
After an unusually busy month, the food bank is now in dire need of dry dog and cat food donations to assist in keeping pets with their caring but struggling families.
“I am a huge animal lover and I can’t imagine in these hard times having to choose whether to feed my animals or pay a bill,” said Sally Campbell, a donor to the food bank who believes strongly in its cause.
Campbell first heard of the need for pet food donations last year when the Humane Society’s food bank was running low and she rallied her friends together to collect more than 300 pounds of food.
“It’s important to try to keep these pets in their family, because that’s what they really are, part of the family,” Campbell said.
Clients of Meals on Wheels, a non-profit organization that delivers food to elderly and home-bound residents of the community, as well as clients of The Source, a poor and homeless outreach organization in Vero Beach, benefit from the pet food bank.
Homeless and struggling pet owners can also receive help from the food pantry directly through the Humane Society, and can choose to volunteer with the Humane society for an allotted number of hours and receive a month of pet food.
“We’ve always had an assistance program here at the shelter, but the food bank was officially formed four to five years ago when the economy was really rough. We saw how painful it was for families who wouldn’t normally be relinquishing their pet, to have to give their pet up,” Daniel said.
As more and more people were arriving at the Humane Society to give up their pets due to financial hardship, Daniel said staff began to brainstorm ways they could support keeping pets and families together through hard times.
“When I first started 15 years ago, I thought, ‘if you’re homeless, it’s hard enough to take care of yourself, much less your pet,’” Daniel said. “But so many of these people have given up everything, and the only thing they’ve held on to is their pet.”
Daniel specified many of the pet owners who fall on hard times in her experience are elderly and their pet may be the only family member they have left.
“The people that we help are always very caring and loving pet owners,” Daniel said.
Dennis Bartholomew, executive director of The Source, said his organization’s partnership with the Humane Society’s food bank has been crucial in keeping pets healthy and remaining with their loving owners.
“We see people every day who have so little to live on, and then they have pets, too. And that pet may be their only friend. They really take care of their pets as best as they can,” Bartholomew said.
According to Daniel, in the month of April, the pet food bank ran dry nearly every week, driving staff to reach out for donations from the community.
Daniel said small bags of dry dog and cat food donations are preferred, as larger bags will be divvied up for transportation convenience. Small cans of wet food are also appreciated.
Donations can be dropped off at the Humane Society at 6230 77th St. in Vero Beach.
