No more hungry pets: Lee County launches Pet Pantry food drive
Pet food donations for the Lee County Domestic Animal Services Community Pet Pantry come in on a daily basis. Unfortunately, with more than 1,000 pets depending on the Pantry for food, much more goes out each day than comes in and supplies are quickly depleted. To make sure no pet goes hungry, LCDAS is launching its first quarterly food drive.
LCDAS depends solely on donations from the public to stock the pantry created to prevent the surrender of pets to shelters because their owners cannot afford to feed them. Pet owners receiving public assistance are eligible for the program. “More than 1,000 pets have been able to remain in a loving home thanks to the generosity of others,” says Ria Brown, LCDAS Public Information Officer. “The goal of this food drive is to gain enough support on a regular basis to keep the pantry stocked for three months before we need to ask for the community’s help again,” she adds.
LCDAS is seeking individuals, businesses, organizations, clubs, and neighborhood groups willing to donate quarterly. The goal is to recruit a network of donors that will collectively contribute 30,000 pounds of food, the amount needed to feed pets for a three month period. While obviously large amounts are ideal, no donation is too small. “A 10-pound bag of food will feed a cat for a month,” notes Donna Ward, LCDAS Director. “Since two-thirds of the 1,000 pets currently being fed through the Pantry are cats, that is definitely our greatest need.”
For more information about participating in the Pet Pantry Network, call 533-9202 or email brownra@leegov.com. Information is also available online at www.leelostpets.com. Donations may be brought to the shelter anytime at 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers, next to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office off Six Mile Cypress Pkwy. Food may be left at the door any time the shelter is not open. Monetary donations may be sent to: Animal Care Trust Fund, 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33912.