If you are looking for pet food assistance, you might also check with your local pet food pantry as some of them are starting to include pet food. And you might even search Facebook for “Pet Food Pantry” in the groups section.

If you know of anything I have missed or something we should include, please contact me.

See also similar posts on this blog listed below. And good luck to you. Stay strong!

Since last September, Grey Muzzle has made 19 grants for senior dog programs in 12 states. Three of the most recent grants fund community programs in Virginia and North Carolina that provide food and medical services for older dogs whose owners have been impacted by the economic downturn. The organization hopes to raise additional money to expand these grants to more states by the end of the year.

“When I first learned of the extraordinary work of Grey Muzzle, I wanted to offer my support,” said Creel. “My book is about the love, strength, and determination of older dogs as they age with us and our families. Through the sale of my book via Grey Muzzle, 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Grey Muzzle’s efforts to save older dogs from being turned over to shelters or abandoned in these challenging economic times.”

Julie Nowicki, president of The Grey Muzzle Organization, explains, “One of our most important goals this year is to help low-income owners, especially our senior citizens, keep their old dogs despite financial instability by assisting them with veterinary care, food and supplies for their much-loved senior dogs. Research shows that pets enrich our quality of life, physically and emotionally. For example, old dogs make calm, affectionate companions for the elderly, while they keep each other active and engaged. Unfortunately, almost all of the animal shelters and rescue organizations that we work with have seen a big increase in the number of senior dogs turned in since last fall.”

As the owner, nurse, chef, and chauffer of a 14-year-old yellow Lab named Chester, Creel developed a particular affection and respect for old dogs. Knowing that Chester’s remaining days were limited he began writing about him. As he shared Chester’s story with others, people responded with incredible tales of struggles and triumphs of their own dogs. After interviewing scores of old dogs, Creel chose eight (in addition to Chester) to include in his book of poems, photography and sketches, Do Old Dogs Dream?

All nine dogs featured in the book were dearly loved but, unfortunately, that is not the case with so many senior dogs. That’s why Creel is giving all profits from the sale of his book to the rescue and care of old dogs. It is his hope that they, too, will not only dream of a life of comfort and love, but actually live such a life in their golden years.

Nowicki responds, “This book is such a beautiful tribute to the value of old dogs, and the bond they share with people. We’re very grateful that Mr. Creel has chosen to use the proceeds of his book to support old dogs and their owners, who would otherwise be separated at the time when they need each other most.”

“I am honored that the book has been endorsed by the national associations of the Humane Society of United States and ASPCA,” states Creel. “Working together with The Grey Muzzle Organization, we can help raise awareness of the great qualities the older dog offers as a devoted, wise, and loyal companion. It is certainly my dream that senior dogs stay with the families who have loved and cherished them throughout their lives.”

Do Old Dogs Dream? is available at www.greymuzzle.org for $19.95. All book sale proceeds support Grey Muzzle’s grants to keep senior dogs with their owners.

About The Grey Muzzle Organization
The Grey Muzzle Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Grey Muzzle improves the lives of at-risk senior dogs by providing funding and resources to animal shelters, rescue organizations, sanctuaries, and other non-profit groups nationwide. www.greymuzzle.org
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Snoopy, the dog in the top photo, is available for adoption from Mt. Juliet Animal Shelter in Mt. Juliet, TN as of the date of this post.

Pets caught in housing crisis find a rescuer
by Scott Craven – June 6, 2009
The Arizona Republic

It’s been easy to see how families have suffered when losing their homes, forced to wedge their lives into small apartments or, worse, homeless shelters.

But loan officer Jodi Polanski was just as saddened by tales of pets left behind, the cats and dogs trying to survive for days, if not weeks, on their own.

As these stories became more frequent, Polanski’s love of animals, as well as a timely seminar about injecting passion into one’s work, spurred her to found the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation, which offers pets and the people who love them a second chance when homes are lost.

The foundation provides foster homes and adoption services for abandoned pets and donates pet food to those who can’t afford to buy their own. In some cases, Lost Our Home pays for pets’ medical needs.

The organization has come much further than Polanski ever dreamed when she and two friends started it nearly a year ago.

Polanski, who’d been involved with various pet-rescue organizations for years, often heard of the tragic stories from the real-estate agents with whom she worked. Families would vanish during the night, escaping homes they could no longer afford and leaving behind those who depended upon them most.

Last summer, during a seminar that discussed combining your passion with your job, the idea struck her – she would provide help when foreclosures forced people to give up their pets.

“It seemed like a natural thing to do,” Polanski said. “Pets being left behind was too big a problem to ignore.”

Shortly after starting the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation with two friends, the group was bombarded by calls, Polanski said. It was a bigger problem than they had imagined.

At first, it was a matter of finding temporary homes for the cats and dogs, their abandonment reported largely by neighbors, as well as real-estate agents unprepared to find pets among other items left behind, such as furniture and food.

“People would take their lamps but not their pets,” Polanski said. “I just couldn’t get my head around that.”

One of the first orders of business was to round up people willing to take pets for weeks or months until permanent homes could be found. They relied on friends and later included social networking, said Tina Eacret, Lost Our Home’s vice president. The group scoured such Web sites as Facebook and Volunteermatch.org, and encouraged board members to blog and use Twitter in seeking those with open hearts and homes.

“We were able to get some great people involved,” Eacret said. “We’re a small group, but we’ve accomplished a lot.”

The foundation has found homes for more than 120 pets, Polanski said. Cases have ranged from a starving cat that was eating drywall to stay alive, to 23 dogs and puppies found at a Gilbert home. All were nursed back to health.

But there also have been times when the group was called too late, with nothing left to do but euthanize the emaciated pets.

“I’ve spent a lot of nights crying,” Polanski said. “I know people are in difficult circumstances, but it’s better to turn in the pet, even if it winds up being euthanized, than letting it slowly starve to death. Nothing deserves that kind of treatment.”

In the past several months, Lost Our Home has launched programs to save pets before they are abandoned. The group offers pet food to those who can’t afford it, and the Furry Friends Foster Program cares for pets until owners are back on their financial feet and can reclaim them. Others may qualify for funds to treat their sick or injured pet.

The programs, for which demand far outstrips supply, have already helped people hold on to their animals despite dire circumstances. In one case, Lost Our Home was able to temporarily house two cats belonging to a man living in his car. He has since found a job (with the pet resort that agreed to temporarily care for his pets) and was reunited.

Those kinds of stories keep Polanski and other volunteers going.

“We get e-mails and postcards from those we’ve helped, and I make sure they’re passed around to everyone,” she said. “To see those smiles, that gives us a lift.”

The foundation is funded by private donations and occasional fundraisers, as well as adoption fees. And when volunteers who are real-estate agents find a pet-friendly condo or townhouse for downsizing pet owners, they donate their commission (roughly $300-$500) to Lost Our Home, Polanski said.

Most of the group’s funds go to vet bills, as much as $5,000 a month. But every penny, Polanski said, is worth it. She plans on continuing Lost Our Home Pet Foundation even after the housing market recovers.

“There will always be pets in need,” she said. “So we’ll keep doing the best we can.”

Lost Our Home Pet Foundation adoptions »

FINANCIAL HELP
There are multiple avenues to find support to help you obtain affordable or free food and shelter for the cats.

Resources for Obtaining Cat Food

• Check for surplus food at your local humane society, or human food bank, or local food pantries. Feeding America has an online food bank locator at www.feedingamerica.org.
• Ask your local market or pet supply store to donate broken packages or dented cans. Some retailers will also donate out-of-date products, which are still good for a few months longer than the sell-by date.
• Ask local vet clinics if they have surplus or just-out-of-date premium pet foods that they are willing to donate.
• Hold a cat food drive. Announce the drive in the local paper to collect donations from the public. Your workplace, local religious institutions, and civic or youth groups may be willing to help as well. Sometimes youth groups, clubs, and high schools require community projects that benefit both people and animals.
• Work with your local scout troop or volunteer organization on the drive for feral cat caregivers. Ask local markets and pet supply shops if you may put out an attractive bin requesting cat food donations.

Resources for Obtaining Shelters/Cat Houses for Feral Cats

• Ask for scrap lumber from building supply stores or contractors, often available at little or no cost.
• Place an ad asking for used dog houses. This could net several free shelters that, with minor improvements, can be made suitable for cats (usually insulation needs to be added and the door made smaller).
• Host a shelter building party. Get together with other caregivers and/or your local feral cat organization’s supporters to build the houses together. Contact a local Boy or Girl Scout or other youth organization and ask interested youth to complete a service project to help build shelters.
• Alley Cat Allies’ website shows several inexpensive shelters you can make yourself, available at www.alleycat.org/BuildAShelter (click on the second bullet).

Spay/Neuter Help

• Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network is a group of organizations or individuals with feral cat expertise and veterinary practices and clinics that provide neuter surgeries for feral cats located in communities nationwide. Go to www.alleycat.org/response to locate a Feral Friend near you who may offer low-cost or subsidized spay/neuter surgery for feral cats.

VETERINARY CARE
Emergency veterinary care can be costly. These national organizations provide funds to those in need.

• AAHA Helping Pets Fun – This fund helps those in need access quality veterinary care for sick or injured pets. Grants temporarily suspended but will begin again in July 2009.
• Angels4Animals – Friends or veterinarians use the “contact us” page to refer an animal family in need of financial assistance.
• CareCredit – Offers a revolving line of credit for veterinary expenses.
• Cats in Crisis – Helps individuals and humane organizations care for cats with chronic or emergency medical conditions through financial and fundraising assistance. Grants temporarily suspended, but check often for re-up date.
• Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program – This program provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.
• Good Sam Fund — Good SAM (Special Assistance and Memorial Fund) was established to create financial aid for sick or injured animals who either are stray or client-owned animals in special circumstances. The fund is supported entirely by outside donations and your pet must meet one part of their criteria to be considered for financial assistance.
• Help-A-Pet – Help-A-Pet provides financial assistance nationwide for the medical care of pets whose owners are unable to afford the expense; for individuals with income below $20,000 or a family income below $40,000.
• IMOM – Financial assistance for life-threatening and emergency veterinary care. IMOM is dedicated to ensuring that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.
• The Pet Fund – Provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need urgent veterinary care.
• Rhode Island – RIVMA Companion Animal Foundation – Launched in 2004, the Foundation’s mission is to provide funds to the state’s participating veterinary practitioners for compassionate care of pets whose owners are unable to pay.
• United Animal Nations – LifeLine grants help Good Samaritans, animal rescuers and low-income families with the high cost of caring for pets by providing grants to meet emergency veterinary expenses they otherwise couldn’t afford.

Locale Specific Veterinary Care
Many local shelters, humane societies, clinics, and pet organizations have special emergency funds to use for families who need special assistance within their communities. Here are a handful, some of which also provide additional help for ongoing animal care:

• Atlanta – Pets Are Loving Support – P.A.L.S. provides pet-care, including free food and basic veterinary care, and support to the companion pets of critically ill and disabled Atlantans.
• Central Ohio – Pet Promise – Provides financial assistance to low-income pet owners who can’t afford medical care for their pets. Also sponsors Operation Fill-A-Bowl, providing free of charge, cat and dog food to pet owners who need assistance and to the caretakers of feral cat populations. Their City Kitty program provides vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries for feral cats.
• Connecticut – Connecticut Humane Society – The Connecticut Humane Society’s Fox Memorial Clinic is a full-service veterinary practice that provides veterinary care for animals whose owners are in financial need.
• New York – NY Save – Aid and assistance for low-income pet owners residing in one of the five boroughs of New York City, whose pet is in need of emergency veterinary care.
• Northern Nevada/Lake Tahoe – Shakespeare Animal Fund – People in the Northern Nevada/Lake Tahoe area can apply for funds, with an emphasis on those on fixed incomes or with annual incomes below $35,000.
• Salt Lake City – Pet Samaritan Fund – Provides financial assistance to Utah pet owners who cannot afford medical care for their pets due to extreme financial hardship (up to $100 upon receipt of veterinary billing statement).
• San Francisco – Pets Are Wonderful Support – Provides for the comprehensive needs of companion animals for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses, as well as senior citizens in the San Francisco area.
• Washington, DC – Pets DC – Dedicated to improving the health and well being of people living with HIV/AIDS or other disabling conditions and their companion pets by providing public health education, exercise, pet food, veterinary care, grooming, foster care, and adoptions services at no cost to individuals in the Metropolitan Washington area.

OTHER IDEAS FOR GETTING HELP

• Work with your veterinarian. Some veterinarians may be willing to work out a payment plan with you, especially if you can provide some of the payment up front.
• Contact friends and family and fundraise. It’s not easy asking for help. But when your animal’s life hangs in the balance, it may be the best option to borrow money or hold a fundraiser.
• Plan ahead. Cut costs and start a savings plan. Consider getting pet owner’s insurance to cover veterinary costs now to prepare for any tough times you may have ahead.
• Get in touch with breed-specific groups. If your pet is a specific breed, the groups associated with it often have funds available to help provide the care your animal needs.

FACING FORECLOSURE
The news is full of stories of animals losing their homes along with their pet parents due to home foreclosure. Some tips for dealing with this looming threat:

• Educate yourself about ways to prevent foreclosure all together. The best way to keep your whole family together (pets and all) is to stay in your home. At makinghomeaffordable.gov/, you can see if you are eligible for government-sponsored foreclosure alternatives, such as refinancing or loan modifications.
• No Paws Left Behind is a nonprofit that provides tips for homeowners as well as an online network to get your pet into the safest place possible if needed.
• Search for pet-friendly housing. Almost every local humane society or rescue group keeps a list of pet-friendly housing in the area. Some also offer mediation services to help you convince a potential landlord to allow the animal to come with you if it is not normally acceptable. To prepare for these discussions, gather proof of your responsibility toward your pet, including veterinary care and statements from others agreeing to your conscientiousness.
• Work hard to find your animal the best temporary home possible. Talk with family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Ask your veterinarian about temporary boarding. Whatever you do, do not take your animal to an open-admission shelter, because they will likely be killed.

Other links that may help:
Financial Assistance for Pets | Troubled Times for Pets and People | Help with Vet Bills | Pet food pantries, financial aid for pets, and pet assistance

When Deborah Thomas took her sickly 10-year-old cat, Armand, to a New York City vet last month, she learned the tan-and-white shorthair had kidney disease and needed to be hospitalized for three days. But the real shock came when she got a bill for $2,000.

“I’ve never spent $2,000 on anything in my life,” says Thomas, a part-time music teacher in the New York public schools.

Now, in addition to chipping away at this amount every month on her credit card, she’s paying $50 a week for medication to maintain the cat’s health. But she doesn’t know how much longer she can afford to give him this kind of care.

With the U.S. economy in shambles, those who used to be able to care for their pets financially are now drowning in other expenses. They’re stuck with tough decisions that pit their own welfare against that of their dog or cat, forcing many to abandon their pets.

But animal lovers can find ways to cut costs and minimize the burden so they don’t have to say a permanent farewell to Felix or Fido, say veterinarians and rescue organizations. They all recommend doing something that’s often embarrassing for those in dire straits — asking for help.

The economic downturn has overwhelmed animal shelters nationwide. Some 84 percent of the 11,000 shelters and rescue groups affiliated with Petfinder.com say they have received more animals because of the downturn for reasons including foreclosures, layoffs and “general financial difficulty.”

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals projected in February that from 500,000 to 1 million cats and dogs were at risk of becoming homeless.

The threat of overcrowding has spurred some shelters to find ways to help those at risk of abandoning their pets.

King Street Cats, a small, independent cat shelter in Alexandria, Va., started a pet food pantry and has helped board some pets until their owners can take care of them again. Keeping a pet in an owner’s home saves the group money.

Bettie Stephens called King Street in January to give away her two cats — Duckie and A.J., after being forced to vacate her house and move into an apartment that didn’t allow animals. Stephens had been put on indefinite unpaid leave from her government job and couldn’t afford her mortgage.

When she told shelter workers about her situation, they said they’d board the cats for free if she thought she could take them back soon. After relinquishing her pets, Stephens visited every weekend, which is when the shelter is open.

At the end of March, Stephens started working again. She moved back to her home recently and picked up the cats the next day.

For those looking to cut costs, there are ways to save on food and veterinary bills, animal experts say. Pet owners spent an average of $217 a year to feed their dogs and $188 for their cats, according to a 2007-2008 American Pet Products Association survey.

Just feeding an animal the right amount of food may reduce expenses, says Jason Merrihew, spokesman for the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Many owners overfeed their pets, leading to obesity, which can result in costly medical problems.

For those who prefer to make their pets food, veterinary nutritionist Andrea Fascetti of the University of California-Davis recommends using recipes at acvn.org. But before changing a pet’s diet, owners should first talk to a veterinarian.

Many owners, however, find veterinary costs are the most difficult to swing.

Thomas, for example, continues to mull what she should do. She refuses to give Armand up and says he’s way too healthy otherwise to be put to sleep. She’s thinking of switching vets or getting a second opinion to see if giving the medicine once a week will suffice.

At Urban Veterinary Care in Chicago, customers are calling more rather than bringing their pets in for an office visit they’d have to pay for, says Adrian Garibay, a veterinary technician. Many are requesting only the basic vaccines and are holding off on getting X-rays and blood work, waiting to see if their pet recovers on its own.

Susan Nelson, a small-animal veterinarian at Kansas State University, offers tips for at-home care for some common ailments. For mild cuts: Trim hair near the wound, then cleanse it with mild soap and put on a triple-antibiotic skin ointment. For diarrhea: As long as pets do not have blood in their stool and are acting normally, just put them on a bland diet.

Changing Your Financial Lifestyle

Following are some tips that may help you or others in your community keep their pets.

• Don’t be afraid to discuss your financial situation with your veterinarian and ask him or her to prescribe only those vaccinations or treatments which are critical to your pet’s health. If the cost is higher than what you can immediately pay, ask your veterinarian for a payment plan.
• Reduce or eliminate luxury items for your pets, including treats and toys, and reduce visits to the groomer or dog spa. If your pet requires frequent grooming or bathing, consider learning how to handle these tasks yourself, or ask your local animal shelter or rescue organization if a volunteer can provide the service for a reduced fee.
• If you are struggling to pay your pet sitter or dog walker, consider asking family, friends or neighbors (including responsible older children) to pet sit or dog walk, so you can reduce or eliminate those costs.
• Check with your local Meals on Wheels to see if pet food is available through the organization’s “We All Love Our Pets” initiative. With support from the Banfield Charitable Trust, grants are available to local Meals on Wheels agencies to provide pet food to clients. For more information, visit www.mowaa.org.

People and their beloved pets should never have to be separated, especially in a time of crisis. Although many people are feeling the effects of the economic crisis, we are all in this together. And, together, we can help our neighbors in need — and their pets — get through it.

reprinted from the National Humane Review

Do you know someone having problems? Here are some more tips that may help. You can print them out to give to them… or pass them out to their friends in case they know someone who may need help.

The mortgage crisis and economic downturn are forcing more homeowners into foreclosure, and many of those with pets must make difficult decisions as their housing situations change. In some cases, pets are being left behind in vacated homes, where they suffer — or may die — from lack of food and water or being abandoned outside. To keep pets safe and, if possible, with their owners during a difficult time, the American Humane Association offers the following tips for homeowners and mortgage lenders who are working through the foreclosure process. These tips and additional information are available online at www.americanhumane.org.

Tips for homeowners facing foreclosure:

• Ask family, friends or co-workers to care for your pet while you relocate to pet-friendly housing.
• Ask your veterinarian or boarding facility for low-cost boarding or a payment plan while you relocate to pet-friendly housing.
• If you cannot take your pet with you, Petfinder.com can be a great resource for finding a shelter or rescue organization in your area where you can surrender your animal and which does not euthanize adoptable animals.
• Never leave your pet behind in a vacant home or set it loose to “find its own way.” It is inhumane and may violate animal cruelty laws.
• Be aware that if you leave a pet behind, when a mortgage lender takes possession of the home, your pet will be taken to the local animal control agency or shelter, where it will be at risk of an uncertain future that may include euthanasia. You could also face possible criminal charges for animal abandonment.

Tips for mortgage lenders during the foreclosure process:

• When beginning delinquency foreclosure proceedings, ask the homeowners if they have pets. Offer them American Humane’s Tips for Homeowners With Pets When Facing Home Foreclosure so they can take appropriate steps to care for their pets. (The tips are available at www.americanhumane.org.)
• Check for pets during monthly delinquency inspections, both inside and outside the home, and, if possible, ask neighbors if they are aware of any pets in the home.
• If pets are suspected to be on the property, the inspector or mortgage lender should call the local animal control agency or animal shelter and ask that an officer come to the home for suspicion of animal abandonment and/or neglect.
  In most cases, an animal control officer can request a warrant to enter the home and seize the pets if food, water or shelter is insufficient. If a seizure of the animals occurs within a time period in which the mortgage lender is waiting to legally seize the home and foreclose, the animals will be kept safe. After that time, though, their futures are less certain, and they may be euthanized if not adopted.

Note: Mortgage lenders should consult with their district attorney’s office to verify the local applicability of these tips.

American Humane believes it is important for homeowners and mortgage lenders to take proactive steps to keep pets with their families. To help alleviate the pet abandonment problem and help keep pets with their families, American Humane is offering shelters grants of up to $2,000 each. The bond that people and their companion animals share can make the stressful process of dealing with a foreclosure and relocation easier to handle when the pets and their families can stay together. For more information on these tips and grants, please visit www.americanhumane.org.

reprinted from The American Humane Association website
Denver (May 22, 2008)

• pikespeakpetpantry.org
• food and financial assistance
• financial aid for pets
• save our pets food bank
• rescue bank in Houston and a story about them

I am working on a website called will work for dog food dot org to see if I can hawk my wares for dog and cat food money. Aside from my mortgage, pet food is my biggest expense each month as 1,000 pounds of dog food and 40-50 pounds of cat food is consumed. Perhaps it is still part of the embarrassment at being unemployed or the fear that accompanies being laid off, but I need to find a source for pet food money.