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Weekly mobile pantry at Nebraska Humane Society helps pet owners in need

Posted at 6:27 PM, Dec 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-27 19:27:11-05

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — “If a bag of food can keep a pet at home, man, that can make all the difference in somebody’s life," said Pam Wiese, vice president of public relations and marketing of the Nebraska Humane Society (NHS).

Every pet owner knows how expensive food is for furry friends, but NHS is providing a weekly resource to make sure no animal goes hungry.

Food, litter, and treats fill a big purple van where volunteers spend a few hours every Friday handing out items to families in need, all at no cost.

Because of the pantry, Shelly is able to help her cousin’s rescue dog, Ann, stay happy and with a full belly.

“It’s great that we can help the animals and keep them good and fed just like, you know, ourselves. It’s kind of helpful to him to be able to get the food he needs for her,” Shelly said.

NHS helps thirty to forty pet owners each week.

“What we’ll do is we take their name just so that we know who we’re serving and how many people we’re serving. Then we also get information on the pets. Is it a big dog, a little dog, is it cats, do the cats need dry food or wet food?” said Wiese.

All items are donated by the community or bought with donor funds.

“If people want to bring in unopened bags of food or bags of food that maybe their pet no longer likes, as long as it’s not expired and in its original bag so we know what it is, we’re happy to take that food,” said Wiese.

Wiese adds it feels good to help the community and it’s a service they’re happy to provide.

“If somebody’s undergoing some hard times and they’re undergoing some economically challenging times, what they really need is the comfort of their family around and their pets around. So they don’t need to lose those simply because they can’t afford food," said Wiese.

The pet pantry takes place every Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration takes place inside the Center for Humane Education building.

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