By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
Many shelters in the U.S. struggle to feed the pets in their care and communities, especially as inflation impacts food costs and donations. Throughout March, BISSELL Pet Foundation is raising awareness to encourage community support for shelters with its “Feed the Shelters®” campaign. The foundation is calling on pet lovers nationwide to donate food to their local shelter to make a lifesaving difference for a hungry pet.
“Donating food to your local shelter makes a difference for pets in need—whether it fills bowls in the shelter or for pets in need through community food assistance programs,” said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation.
Resources are stretched thin at Michigan shelters—and shelters nationwide—as these organizations experience longer stays for pets, increased owner surrenders and staffing issues. Shelters are community assets dedicated to keeping people and their pets together. Whether open admission or private, shelters support their communities through pet food assistance programs, free and low-cost community clinics, obedience classes, reuniting families with stray pets, and much more. At BISSELL Pet Foundation, we are committed to supporting shelter, and our “Feed the Shelters” campaign allows us to spread the love for all that shelters do and raise awareness to drive food donations.
“We hope our “Feed the Shelters” campaign will get community members through the doors of their local shelter to not only make a lifesaving food donation, but to also learn more about getting involved at their shelter,” said Bissell.
Participating in “Feed the Shelters” is easy:
- Find your local shelter’s wish list and see what food they need.
- Visit your shelter and take a photo or video of you dropping off your donation.
- Share your donation photo/video on social media with #FeedTheShelters and tag @Cathy_Bissell and @BISSELLPets
- Tag your friends and family to participate!
All year long, BISSELL Pet Foundation receives requests to help hungry pets from our network of more than 5,700 shelters and rescues. BISSELL Pet Foundation keeps bellies full by providing Feed the Shelters program grants to animal welfare organizations across the country. Grant recipients can then offer meals to their pets and donate meals to the neediest pets in their communities through pet food pantries and other lifesaving pet food resources. Since the program’s inception in 2020, the foundation has provided 1,850 904 meals to hungry pets.
