WAFER receives large pet food donation - WXOW.com

WAFER receives large pet food donation - WXOW.com

Erin Waldhart

Dr. Robert Spencer and Michelle Hemp

La Crosse, WI (WXOW) -

Hillside Animal Hospital conducted its 7th Annual Pet Food Drive for WAFER.

It began on November 1 and went through December 21, collected pet food and supplies for the local pantry.

Erin Waldhart, Executive Director at WAFER Food Pantry in La Crosse said it's important because many people's pets are a big part of their life and when they're hungry themselves, it's difficult to feed their animals.

"It's really important for our clients and to think that people get behind this and support it, not only Dr. Spencer but the clients that they help at the clinic is amazing," said Waldhart.

She added that for people living in poverty and facing food insecurity, the stress of providing for a pet may mean giving up their own food supply in order to ensure their pet doesn't go hungry.

Dr. Robert Spencer, Practice Owner at Hillside Animal Hospital and Michelle Hemp, Practice Manager said they make it a little bit of a competition with a great incentive. 

"Once they got to fifteen hundred pounds, for every pound after that I'd donate a dollars worth of food up to a thousand dollars. So we have clients who purposefully make sure that happens," said Spencer.

In 2015, the staff collected and delivered 3,867 pounds of food. This year they were able to collect more than 4,000 pounds of food-the most they've ever received since the drive began.

MORE INFORMATION: Hillside Animal Hospital