Pet food drive Saturday
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on October 17, 2008 1:46 PM
The Wayne County Humane Society has begun a campaign to collect and distribute cat and dog food to those pet owners hit hard by the financial crisis.
Loss of jobs, the high cost of gas and other economic worries are causing more people to give up their pets, said Barrett Parker, co-vice president of the society.
To help with the food issue, the Wayne County Humane Society held its first collection drive at the Arts Council of Wayne County's Sunday in the Garden last month and its leaders were pleased with the contributions people offered -- nearly 60 bags of dog food, 40 bags of cat food and numerous canned foods.
More food is being collected by the pharmacy staff at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and will be delivered to the Humane Society in time for its first food giveaway on Sunday.
The giveaway will be held from 2 until 4 p.m. at the Carolina Mini Storage on Berkeley Boulevard across from K-Mart. Food will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
No proof of income will be required for people to get the food.
"If they're in that type of financial situation, we want them to not be embarrassed," Ms. Parker says. "We're there to provide the service."
The Humane Society will use an honor system, she continues, and will ask people to tell them how many animals they have and the size of the animals. The answers to the questions will determine how much food is given.
People who wish to donate can do so by taking food to Carolina Mini Storage during its business hours: 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturdays. Carolina Mini Storage has donated a locker that the food will be placed in, Ms. Parker says.
For more information about the drive, call Ms. Parker at 922-4312.