The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

November 20, 2012

PetSmart donation boosts reserves at area animal shelter

By Tina Alvey Register-Herald Reporter

Thousands of pounds of donated pet food have found their way to the Greenbrier County Animal Shelter, thanks to PetSmart Charities.

According to Al Whitaker, director of the Greenbrier County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the charitable organization sent a tractor-trailer load of dog and cat food to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture for distribution following the Hurricane Sandy-related snowstorms in the state.

As one of the affected counties, Greenbrier was in line to receive a share of the donated supplies, once the needs of the hardest-hit areas of the state were addressed. Whitaker said he received a phone call from the Agriculture Department recently asking if he could dispatch a truck to Charleston to haul some pet food to the county’s animal shelter.

GCHSEM assistant director Paula Brown made the pick-up, bringing three pallets of dog food totaling 2,640 pounds, along with 700 pounds of cat food, back to Greenbrier County.

Animal shelter officials scrambled to find storage space for the much-needed supplies, contacting a patron who donated a storage building to the cause.

The pet food donation was particularly timely for the busy Greenbrier shelter, which is in the midst of a Humane Society-organized food and supply drive.

Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc., is an independent nonprofit organization headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz,. The organization is dedicated to creating and supporting programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets.

The PetSmart Charities Emergency Relief program is funded by donations. For more information, visit www.petsmartcharities.org/emergency-relief.

Text Only
Local News