Operation Kindness is helping keep bellies and houses full starting this month. North Texas’ original and largest no-kill animal care and adoption center is feeding pets across the metroplex with the launch of the Operation Kindness Pet Food Pantry. The pantry is designed to lower the number of pets surrendered to shelters by providing temporary free cat and dog food to qualified low-income families.
“Economic reasons account for 25 percent of the pets surrendered per year, and our goal is to lower that,” said Jim Hanophy, CEO of Operation Kindness. “Our vision is a world where all cats and dogs have loving, responsible, forever homes and this pantry is going to help keep pets out of shelters and in their homes.”
The Operation Kindness Pet Food Pantry, which will serve pet owners in the DFW area, is projected to open August 19th. The pantry will provide free pet food as well as cat litter and flea and tick prevention for up to three months to owners with a clear financial need. Pet owners seeking assistance will be able to apply online, once qualified they will be able to pick up pet food at the Operation Kindness Shelter on the third Saturday and second Wednesday of every month between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. In addition, Operation Kindness is working with partners across the community to establish more distribution locations.
The Operation Kindness Pet Food Pantry is taking over for the North Texas Pet Food Pantry, to fulfill the growing needs of the community.
“I’m so honored that the hard work and effort that went into the North Texas Pet Food Pantry will be sustained by Operation Kindness,” said Cheryl Spencer, President and founder of the North Texas Pet Food Pantry. “This pet food pantry is such a vital part of the community and I’m grateful that it will be continued on.”
In association with the Pet Food Pantry, Operation Kindness is launching the Royal Vaccination Fund to help provide low-income families with access to rabies, parvo and distemper vaccinations. This program is inspired by an Operation Kindness foster family who experienced the devastation of distemper, when their foster dog Princess lost six puppies to distemper. To help get the program started Artists for Animals has matched the first donation of $2,500. Canine distemper is a contagious and serious, often fatal, disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of puppies and dogs.
The virus can also be found in wildlife such as foxes, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, mink and ferrets and has been reported in lions, tigers, leopards and other wild cats as well as seals. All dogs are at risk but puppies younger than four months old and dogs that have not been vaccinated against canine distemper are at increased risk of acquiring the disease.
To help with the launch of the Operation Kindness Pet Food Pantry, the no-kill animal shelter is seeking volunteers to assist with donation and supply pick up and pet food distribution. Operation Kindness also welcomes donations of dog and cat food and encourages companies, schools and other organizations to conduct food donation drives.
For more information about the Operation Kindness Pet Food Pantry, please visit www.operationkindness.org.