The Gilmer Community Food Pantry has long helped local residents and families in need of food.
For the past couple of years, it’s also been helping some of the county’s pet owners by providing food for their dogs and cats.
“I’d say 75-80 percent of people who come through the food pantry have pets, and we let them know that this is available,” said Mindy Petzer, pet food pantry coordinator. “They go through the front office and check in. When they come through the pantry, they can get their pet food.”
The volunteer-run pet food pantry has been especially active the past few months, Petzer noted.
“The last two weeks, it has really picked up. It’s been going gangbusters,” she said. “We’re serving over 500 pets a month, which is a lot. That doesn’t even count the real numbers because we limit it to (food for) four cats and four dogs. Those numbers are just for the pet food that we’re giving out.”
The main goal of the program is to provide monthly supplemental food so pet owners who come to the pantry can keep their animals fed and at home. This helps keep more pets from winding up at the animal shelter, Petzer noted.
“It is a supplement. It’s not going to sustain a family’s dog(s) or cat(s) for an entire month, but it is an important supplement,” she added. “The big takeaway is if people can keep their dogs and cats at home and have enough to provide for them, these animals aren’t going to be taken to the shelter. We want (people to be able) to keep their pets at home, but, if they do have too many pets, we can also provide information about that.”
The pet food pantry team has worked with such local outreach organizations as Homeward Bound and FOGAS (Friends of the Gilmer Animal Shelter) to provide resources for those with too many animals.
“I’ve been working with some of these folks who have pets in double-digit numbers and getting them coordinated with Homeward Bound to get the mama fixed,” Petzer said.
The pantry receives a good deal of pet food from the Atlanta Humane Society, but sometimes it’s not enough. Pet food pantry donation boxes, which have been set up at several locations around the county, help meet the additional need. Pet food can be dropped off at Tractor Supply, Mountain Hounds and Uncle B’s Feed and Supply, Petzer said.
There’s also a bin marked “pet food only” next to the food pantry warehouse on Highway 52 East. Donations can also be left there, Petzer said. A donation could be something as simple as passing along an unopened bag of food that wasn’t favored by someone’s dog or cat.
“They don’t necessarily have to buy the pet food inside the stores. They can just bring it and leave it in the bins,” Petzer said.
The pantry accepts donations of both dry and wet dog and cat food. Due to supply chain issues, cat food has been harder to come by, and there’s a bigger need for it now, Petzer noted.
“Cat food is so hard to get (right now), so any sort of cat food would be very appreciated,” she said.
The pet food pantry is also looking to get more volunteers involved. Volunteers help portion out the donated dry food into gallon-size storage bags, among other tasks, Petzer noted.
“We’re just needing more help from the community,” she said. “I give out at least seven pounds per large dog and it goes down to one-and-a-half pounds per cat. I use the guidelines the Atlanta Humane Society gives me for once a month pickup.”
The donation boxes, which are sort of an ongoing food drive for the pantry, will be staying up year-round, Petzer confirmed.
“It’s an ongoing thing,” she said. “(We serve) a very broad group, and it’s a group with a lot of pets. I feel good that we can actually help these folks.”
To inquire about volunteering for the pet food pantry, contact Mindy Petzer at mindypetzer@gmail.com.