How Pet Food Pantry Helps Pets & Owners & How Your Brand Can Contribute

To Elvira Bellegoni, the founder and executive director of the Ohio-based Willowick Pet Food Pantry, making a difference in the lives of pets and pet lovers is what motivates her to keep her organization going.

In an interview with the News Herald, Bellegoni noted their organization’s efforts make her feel like she’s helping and “doing something good” for others.

During the pantry’s humble beginnings in 2016, they gave away 8,000 pounds of pet food. That has increased dramatically, with the pantry distributing more than 44,000 pounds of pet food in 2020. In total, the organization has given out nearly 150,000 pounds of pet food since its inception, with many of the donations coming from pantry volunteers.

How your brand can help pet parents

Aside from distributing pet food, the pantry also sponsors much-needed programs like spay and neuter procedures to help control the community’s pet population. They also have a Rainbow Bridge program to support pet parents who want to provide their furred family members the care they deserve until the end. For pet parents with terminally ill animals, the organization can provide $75 for pet euthanization purposes. Finally, the pantry also has a new program specifically to help veterans cover the costs of adopting a support/service pet. 

For 2021, the organization feels it can pay for ten adoptions and cover $200 per adoption.

In addition to these programs, the Willowick Pet Food Pantry also donates gift baskets for small projects such as free raffles for pet parents in need of financial help.

If you want to contribute to a similar cause, you can ask your local animal shelter whether they need volunteers or essential pet items. 

Should you happen to own a pet-related brand or a business with an audience made up of pet parents, you can offer to sponsor your pet-related charity of choice. You can either give them a monetary donation or provide them with useful pet merchandise such as custom dog collars, dog treats, stainless steel bowls and personalized puppy blankets for newly adopted pups, to name a few.