The fourth annual Tackle Pet Hunger campaign will conclude with a food drive Saturday, Nov. 12, in the parking lot of the Charity Newsies headquarters, 4300 Indianola Ave.
The collection of pet food from 9 a.m. to noon that day will cap off an effort that began Oct. 30 at a variety of central Ohio businesses.
The yearly fall campaigns are "designed to raise awareness of pet hunger in our community and keep pets in their homes and out of area shelters," said Jill Herbst, executive director of Ohio Animal Companions.
The nonprofit organization was formed in 2010 to help reduce the number of homeless pets throughout the state.
Tackle Pet Hunger also is sponsored by the PetPromise Pet Food Pantry and, new this year, the Sedona Grace Foundation.
PetPromise serves individuals directly, while the Sedona Grace Foundation provides canine and feline care packages to 10 human food pantries, including the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center and the Kitchen Cupboard in Nelsonville.
The latter organization was formed in February 2011 by Northwest Side residents Jill and Dave Cottone following the death of the dog they adopted from the Franklin County Dog Shelter in summer 2004.
"I've had dogs all my life," Mrs. Cottone said last week.
"This was my husband's first dog. She showed him unconditional love."
Mrs. Cottone said the dog they named Sedona, who had been called Gracie by shelter volunteers, was such a great pet they often wondered how anyone could have given her up.
The Cottones concluded it might have been because her previous owner couldn't afford food for the dog. That's what prompted creation of the foundation that will provide dog food, treats and preventive medicines to central Ohio families in need, thereby allowing them to keep and care for their dogs during difficult financial times, according to the foundation's website.
"We took something devastating and we tried to make something good out of it," Mrs. Cottone said.
"It just kind of happened," Herbst said of the inaugural Tackle Pet Hunger campaign.
"When there's such a great need like this, there are so many rescue organizations and they're all doing good work, but with pet food, there aren't many organizations helping with that."
The goal for the 2015 food drive was 2,500 pounds, but Herbst said when Pet Supplies Plus stores signed on as sponsors and provided collection sites, the campaign received 3,600 pounds of pet food.
"We blew our goal out of the water," Herbst said.
"But then we said, 'Oh, no, next year we're going to really be in for it.' "
The goal for the campaign that concludes Nov. 12 is 4,000 pounds.
Participating businesses include six central Ohio Pet Supplies Plus locations, area Half Price Books stores, Caffe Apropos in Victorian Village, Village Pet Supply in German Village, Easton Animal Hospital, the Hound Hut in Gahanna, Park Your Paws Doggie Daycare in Clintonville, Eat Purr Love Cat Cafe in Clintonville, and the 5th and Kenny Animal Hospital.
A complete list of locations is available at http://ift.tt/2fA3eKE.
kparks@thisweeknews.com
@KevinParksTW1
