Fido Food Bank

[TKW]

aaArticle rank 15 Apr 2009 The Vancouver SunBY P.J. HUFFSTUTTERLos Angeles Times Fido food bank helps dog owners get by While people struggle to survive in a sinking economy, tears and gratitude flow as animal lovers ease the burden of families with pets
CLACKAMAS, Ore. — Joni Taylor’s family was evicted from their home in coastal Los Angeles when she was 15. They couldn’t pay the mortgage and moved away, leaving the family’s cats to fend for themselves.

GENARO MOLINA/LOS ANGELES TIMESJoni Taylor organized a pet food bank in Clackamas, Ore.

It happened decades ago, but Taylor still remembers how she cried for months. She imagined the animals roaming the streets, confused and hungry. Every few days, she would go to the grocery store and head back to her old neighbourhood with a supply of canned tuna and hope.

So when the unemployment rate began to skyrocket in Portland in recent months, she knew what she had to do.

“People shouldn’t have to choose between going hungry and giving up the family dog,” said Taylor, now a 53-year-old grandmother and head of Friends Involved in Dog Outreach, or FIDO, a group that helps rally support and donations for the Clackamas County dog shelter.

Taylor and some friends called pet shops and animal food makers, asking: Could they spare a bag or two of dried dog food? Maybe a box of pet chews or puppy treats? Thousands of kilograms of dried and canned food poured in.

In February, Taylor and her friends started a dog food bank in this Portland suburb, handing out a 30-day supply to anyone who showed up at their storage facility on the third Saturday of the month. No questions asked. They focused on dogs because there was already a local cat food bank.

On a recent Saturday, a crowd of nearly three dozen people shuffled and shivered in the morning rain. Taylor, who works as an accountant during the week, saw the anxious look in people’s eyes. They stared at the ground and stood apart from one another.

Eric Gateley and Bella, a twoyear-old boxer, waited quietly until a volunteer called out his name.

Gateley, 40, lost his job as a construction manager in June and has been living in a motel with his wife and nine-year-old son since January. Relatives in Texas have been sending money to help them cover the bills.

He has been trying to make his son believe that their motel stay is an adventure. They swim in the motel’s pool. They get McDonald’s and curl up in front of the TV on the weekends for movie marathons.

“My wife and I, we have to put on a front for our son,” Gateley said.
There’s a certain relief in coming for free dog food. “With Bella,” Gateley said, nodding to the caramel-coloured dog at his feet, “I don’t have to fake it.”

Taylor, her round face flushed from exertion and greying brown ponytail wet from the rain, listened to part of his story. “You don’t need to explain,” she said. “Come back if you need more.”

There is a familiar ring to the tales she hears. Taylor remembers how her mother struggled to feed her five children after the family was evicted.

The children were sent to stay with friends nearby who offered a spare room. At least once a week, they would drive Taylor and her sisters to their old neighbourhood.

She spent hours wandering around the family home, searching the overgrown backyard and calling the cats’ names. Sometimes, they came running. Once plump, they had grown scrawny.

Last year, a social worker told Taylor about people skipping meals to feed their children and pets.

She reached out to her friend Linda Cloud, 63, who heads FIDO’s program delivering pet food to senior citizens and the housebound. Cloud knew of senior shut-ins spooning Meals on Wheels dishes into the pet bowl.

Cloud’s group supplied a first shipment of food. Their joint call for donations and volunteers worked. In the warehouse, wooden pallets were piled nearly two metres high with dried sirloin-flavoured kibble and faux bacon treats. The scent of beef and chicken was thick.

Pat Foss, a quality inspector for a manufacturing company who wasbracingtobelaidoff,gnawed on her lower lip as she filled out a food-bank form. She listed the names and weights of four of her seven dogs: The food bank allows each household food for only four.Hersareformerstrays.Foss, 47, can’t bear to shut her kitchen door to an animal in need.

Foss was relieved to get her portion — as many as 11 kilograms of dry food, two cans of wet food and a gallon-sized bag of big-dog treats. But her heart sank as she saw how many boxes she was taking. The line leading up to the warehouse was still long. She filled out a volunteer form and promised to return. She helped set up signs. She hauled bags for other pet owners. Before she left, she leaned against her SUV and cried.

By noon, Taylor and Cloud were scrounging through empty boxes in search of scraps. Volunteers had bagged up more than 1,360 kilograms of food weeks earlier. Now they had given out just about all of it — enough for 199 dogs. “Dig out whatever is left,” Taylor urged. A volunteer tipped one box and a few bits of kibble poured into her hand. Some spilled onto the concrete floor.


Taylor bent down and scooped up each piece.

[Mat&Murph]

What a sad and beatiful story!! Thanks for sharing

[Chris21711]

A few weeks ago in our Global Store, a few of us were discussing this very same thing, but were wondering where we would be able to set something along these very lines up....hmmmm

It is a great idea.

[Melinda]

our pet food store calls me when ever they have ripped bags of cat or dog food, they know I pretty well know all the animal people in town, I call whoever I think needs it at the time, be it a rescue, neighbour on hard times or if the shelter is asking for donations...this petstore is not allowed to do it and its done when the manager is "out" *L* they are suppose to dispose of it because of health reasons....geesh.. I think that was a great and heartbreaking story

[muggsmom]

What a fantastic story! After reading about the woman that taped her dog to the fridge, this story has restored my faith in people. The last line made me cry.

[NoahGrey]

This is a great story. However, I bet they are going to be getting a little call from FIDO the cell company. I highly doubt a company like FIDO would allow their organization use their name. I believe FIDO would have had the word FIDO trademarked. Honestly, I soon as I read the title, I thought "oh FIDO is just got a little better for me. They have a program that helps animals that are in need of some help. Makes it hard to switch cell phone companies.

But, no I like what they are doing. I understand.

ACO22

[TeriM]

This is a wonderful story that made me all teary .

[CearaQC]

Oh wow I started bawling not even halfway through the story!

It's an excellent idea for sure.