Hearts Alive Village Animal Rescue Provides Pet Food to the Community
Hearts Alive Village Animal Rescue has expanded their Kendall’s Kupboard food pantry to become the Pet Food Disaster Distribution Center for the State of Nevada, thanks to food donations from GreaterGood.org and a grant for space and equipment from the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation.
With the Las Vegas unemployment rate surpassing 33% and Nevada’s unemployment rate above 28%, many pet owners are finding it difficult to feed their pets, leading many to consider surrendering their beloved pet to the shelter. In an effort to keep pets in their original homes, Hearts Alive Village Animal Rescue provides pet food to families in Nevada struggling to feed their animals. Since its expansion, Kendall’s Kupboard has gone from feeding 200-300 pets a month, to over 915 households including 1,894 dogs and 1,021 cats.
In addition, the pet food bank is supplying food to fellow rescue and welfare organizations throughout the state including Path 4 Paws, Street Dogz, Southern Nevada Animal Rescue League, Vegas Pet Rescue Project, Project 4 Humanity, A Home 4 Spot, and Wend Rover Pet Connection. This equates to over 17,000 lbs. of food distributed to individuals and organizations.
This local distribution of pet food is part of a multi-million-dollar nationwide donation effort that GreaterGood.org is executing to help the pet communities across the U.S. impacted most by the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 pandemic is creating an unprecedented animal sheltering crisis, while also affecting pet parents,” said Liz Baker, CEO for GreaterGood.org. “It is our duty to step in and offer assistance on a national level by creating a network of relief distribution centers with our local animal shelter partners while also supporting them.”
Thanks to a grant from the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation, in early May, Hearts Alive Village signed a 12-month lease on a warehouse to house and distribute the pet food.
“No pet owner should ever have to make the decision between feeding themselves and feeding their pets,” said Christy Stevens, Executive Director of Hearts Alive Village. “This distribution center allows us to be a resource for the community, ensuring that no pet is ever surrendered due to a lack of food.”
Individuals can enroll to receive pet food through the program at https://www.heartsalivevillage.org/kendalls-kupboard/. An appointment will be scheduled and “drive thru” distribution will protect staff, volunteers, and recipients. The website will also include information for those Individuals and businesses that would like to support the program with a food or monetary donation.