In the first four months of the pet food bank’s existence at the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services, 500 different people showed up, all unable to feed their cats and dogs. Their only other option was the devastating: to turn their pets over to the shelter.
So when Halo, Purely for Pets recently sent over 5,000 meals of Spot’s Stew, which was shared by the Sacramento SPCA, it was a complete surprise. “Halo was dropped from heaven,” says Penny Cistaro, manager of the animal care program for Sacramento and creator of the food bank in November of last year. “It has been incredible for us to have that much food.”
The food bank relies on donations for the program to run. “I love the food bank,” says Cistaro. As do the grateful pet owners who come for food. They include the homeless and those that lost their house, even state workers experiencing financial difficulty due to California’s forced unpaid three-day-a-month furlough.
“They’re just plain thankful that they’re here,” says Cistaro. “They can’t believe we won’t make them do something to do for the food. When people come in for help, it’s a humbling experience and it’s a good thing to offer.”
Watch the segment on the local TV news about the donation and the shelter.
