Helping Keep Pets At Home

In the past year more pets have been finding themselves homeless because their families are facing tough economic times.

This summer Best Friends Team No More Homeless Pets volunteers will be working in 13 cities, including Pittsburgh, to collect pet food for families in need in the First Home Forever Home Four Legged Food drive.

From July 11 - July 25, Pittsburgh's team will be collecting all kinds of sealed and unexpired pet food, both canned and dry, for Ellie's Pet Pantry at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and Animal Friend's Chow Wagon at the following location:

Drop Locations:

Camp Bow Wow Pittsburgh South
971 Killarney Dr.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15234
412-885-2267
Cick here for Camp Bow Wow Pittsburgh South's website
Drop Hours:
8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday thru Saturday
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sunday

Curves - Brentwood

Animal Crackers - Bridgeville

On Site Store Event(s):

Updated information on other drop locations and the sites of our on-site store events to be held on Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26 will be published here as soon as the information becomes available.

Ellie's Pet Pantry at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society is a program that helps families who have fallen on hard times feed their hungry pets. Individuals who need help feeding their pets can go to the Western PA Humane Society on the North Shore to pick up food for their pets. Ellie's also distributes pet food to local food banks so that clients there can get help feeding their pets as well. Animal Friend's Chow Wagon program assists over 1,000 families feed their hungry pets on a regular basis.

Goals of the Four-Legged Food Drive

• To support food pantry work and current needs for pet food in local communities by collecting pet food that will help people keep their pets in these difficult economic times
• To increase awareness about homeless animals and the goal of reaching a day when there are No More Homeless Pets

Why Do a Four Legged Food Drive?

With or without the downturn in the economy, every community has a homeless pet problem. In the past year, however, the number of pets who become homeless via relinquishment and abandonment has increased because of current economic conditions, foreclosures and joblessness.

In response, an increasing number of organizations provide pet food to people who need it, so Best Friends is responding to that need because helping provide free pet food will help some people keep their pets, so we're going to work to help in that effort.

First Home Forever Home

The Best Friends First Home Forever Home campaign focuses on all aspects of helping people make and honor a lifetime commitment to their pets. Millions of companion animals die every year in crowded shelters because their families decided to let them go for some reason. Through education, intervention and action, First Home Forever Home provides guidance and resources to help people care for their pets and keep them as loved members of their families.

How You Can Help

- If you live in the Pittsburgh area and would like to volunteer please contact Volunteer Project Leader and PA Forums Moderator, Sherry Johnson, at pitachic@verizon.net.

- Spread the word to your friends and family about the food drive.

- Contact your local food bank to make a donation of pet food.

- Donate to the First Home Forever Home campaign. Your donation will support the First Home, Forever Home Campaign, and help keep pets and their families happily together.

The Pennsylvania Team is also organizing a drive in the Philadelphia area. Cick here

Posted by Sherry, PA Forums Moderator