Before COVID-19 talk became the norm, the Gateway Pet Guardians community team created a program called WAG. Qualified families could become members of the WAG Program and get lots of freebies and discounts at our new Pet Resource Center. One perk was access to our monthly pet food pantry.
Yesterday, we started making deliveries to the 40+ families that had signed up so far (plus some that have called in requesting food). Our service area is made up of six zip codes in the East St. Louis area. We cover a lot of ground, so we distributed across multiple days, dropping off food on families’ porches.
47 families received food, totaling 2,191 pounds of dog food, 277 pounds of cat food, and 192 pounds of litter. 33 of these families are regular pet food pantry recipients; 14 are clients that called in needing help due to the Illinois Shelter in Place order surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
We miss seeing the families, but waving through the window and honking hello will do just fine for now.
To help Gateway Pet Guardians ensure family pets are fed during this unprecedented time, please donate today or browse our Amazon Wishlist to send food directly to our shelter to be distributed to a family in need.