Monday, April 20, 2009

APA Starting Pet Food Bank

ACTion Programs for Animals--APA--is being converted into a non-profit whose mission will be bettering the lives of pets and their guardians. Our first project will be the launch of a pet food bank, which we hope will help people who are struggling financially to feed their animals and not have to give up a member of the family because of hard times. At first, we will be distributing food once a month on a set day/time, but we hope to grow this bank into one that can partner with other groups already administering people food banks and other assistance so that we can reach all segments of the population in our area in need.

APA will also be looking toward the day we can offer other items that pets need, such as dog houses, cat litter boxes and litter, leashes, collars, ID tags, alternatives to chaining dogs, etc. Other future plans are establishing wellness clinics to get pets vaccinated and microchipped at a low cost. All the while, APA will be working on outreach and respectful education to the public so that every pet guardian can learn how to provide for their pet's basic needs and beyond -- helping people see how much of a special bond they can develop with their dogs and cats.

If you are interested in helping in these efforts, contact APA at actionprogramsforanimals@yahoo.com. We need help from businesses and other locations that will allow pet food donation bins or jars at their locations as well as individual volunteers to pick up food and take it to storage locations and help with the monthly distribution. Also, part of this work is learning which organizations/groups are already administering help to people so that we can partner in future efforts to include pets as part of the families being given assistance. Lastly, if you run a store that can offer pet food donations directly, please let us know.