The following post comes from Diane Herbst, a freelance writer who is passionate about animals, and has written many articles involving dogs and cats for People magazine. Diane’s two dogs, Rudi and Smokey, love their Spots Stew — which her three cats savor, too.

Since Halo’s $20,000 food donation on the Ellen show in September to Mimi Ausland and freekibble.com, the 12-year-old from Bend, Oregon distributed 7630 pounds of dog and cat meals to five rescue groups across the country. “This food is just a blessing in disguise,” says Naomi Yaussy, head of adoptions for Adopt a Rescue Pet in Las Vegas, Nevada, which received 1,000 pounds of Spots Stew Dry Formula for dogs to feed their 250 pups. “That changed our lives for a couple of weeks.”

Same for the 700 cats roaming free on 12 lush acres at The Cat House on the Kings sanctuary in Parlier, CA. (Check out the amazing video about this cat paradise.) Mimi sent them 1,400 pounds of Spots Stew dry cat kibble.

“The food we got is such a good quality of food, we gave it to our kittens, our old cats, our debilitated cats and the cats with special needs,” says Cat House founder Lynea Lattanzio, noting her cats go through 150 pounds of dry food a day. Says Mimi of her gifts: “It makes me feel really amazing; it’s great. Healthy food makes such a difference.”

The other recipients are the SPCA of Westchester, NY, which received 2530 pounds Spots Stew kibble for dogs; the Humane Society of Central Oregon, with 2500 pounds of dog and cat food; and the Center for Animal Care and Control of New York City receiving 1500 pounds.

The donation to Adopt a Rescue Pet was a first for the group. “Our only time,” says Yaussy. “This is amazing for a kid, you don’t expect this. It amazes me a child thought of this.”