Paying it forward in Syracuse

By isak, May 11, 2010

It is estimated by rescue groups that 10 million pets will be abandoned this year in the US. This number staggers and motivates Ruth Sturgis.

Sturgis and her husband, David own Dog Daze Healthy Pet Shop in North Syracuse. Now they also operate Hardeko Helping Paws Pantry, a charity that offers free food and medicine to pets of proud people who have fallen on hard times. It’s their goal to help people keep their pets rather then abandon or surrender them.

“We’re going to give you the food, and we’re going to encourage you to pay it forward,” Sturgis explains, either through volunteer work or making donations to the pantry once they are back on their feet.

How can you help?

Three ways:

• Donate food, beds, crates, collars, any sort of pet care items to Hardeko; call 410-1278 for details.
• If you know someone on the verge of giving up their pet for financial reasons, steer them to the pantry at 309 South Main St., North Syracuse.
• If your volunteer fire department in Central New York lacks animal respirators, ask the department to notify Hardeko. The pantry will donate several respirators in the coming months.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
reprinted from Syracuse.com