Yet each of these individuals says it’s worth it. But why?

Because they’re treated with courtesy and respect. And when they go home, they’re doing so armed with an abundance of high-quality Canidae Pet Food. Meaning that their dog and cat family will get a really good dinner, and lots more. And that means everything. In a fast-paced 2.5 hours, we provided food for the family pets of more than 161 families.

Our days are filled with many special moments; poignant, emotional, and sometimes both happy and heartbreaking. But we always hope for the best, and work hard to bring the best to everyone that we meet.

One of the most special moments occurred with a gentleman that had not been to see us since last October. He said that he’d been working, and had been able to buy the great Canidae food we’d provided in the past. But his job ended and once again he needed help.

He said that being able to come back to us for help five months later was the very best part of his day, his week and his month. He said he didn’t know what he would have done without us. And then the compliments just started flowing. He said that we made him feel like an old friend, yet we hardly knew him. And he said that everywhere he looked, he saw other folks just like him being treated like Rock Stars!

And that even though it was cold and wet outside, we made him feel like it was warm and sunny.

He shook my hand and said “thank you,” and stood there frozen for a moment. And then he began to cry. He started to say something else, but the words would not come. He apologized. But the truth is that I heard everything he wanted to say, even though he couldn’t say it. His eyes spoke volumes and that was more than sufficient.

The Pongo Fund; keeping pets and their people together is what we do.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.

www.thepongofund.org

A fiercely protective elderly mutt is up for a national hero award for pestering her owner in the hours before he had a heart attack and then barking for help once it struck.

Ceili, a 15-year-old Lab mix, usually spends much of her day lounging in her North Portland home. But one steamy day in August, she stuck by her owner, Danny Fincher, trotting behind him from room to room, sometimes blocking his path. When he sat down, she licked his arms and legs and then jumped on his easy chair, sniffing his breath.

“She was driving me nuts,” he said.

That evening, as he brushed his teeth, she tugged at his shorts. When he headed upstairs to bed, feeling knotted with indigestion, she nipped at his feet and pulled off a shoe, trying to prevent him from climbing the stairs. Ceili seemed to sense something was wrong and she was right. Moments later, Fincher suffered the heart attack.

The idea that Ceili may have been aware of the problem isn’t far-fetched, said one specialist. Dogs can be trained to detect seizures and research is looking at canines sniffing out bladder and lung cancer, said James Serpell, professor of animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania. Although he hasn’t heard of cases involving heart attacks, he said that falls within the range of possibilities. “We’ve bred dogs to be focused on humans,” Serpell said. “So they have this combination of heightened sensitivity and heightened attention to their owners, and that combination gives them sometimes what looks like miraculous insights.”

In a daze after the attack, Fincher, 62, tried to crawl up the stairs, but the dog tugged him down then ran into a back room where his wife, Gayle Jewell, was watching television. Barking furiously, Ceili darted between the two until Jewell checked on her husband and whisked him to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Thanks in part to Ceili, Fincher was treated within 20 minutes of his attack.

“There’s no question she saved my life,” Fincher said.

Dr. Jonathan Lindner, a cardiologist at Oregon Health & Sciences University, said quick treatment after a heart attack is crucial. “The bottom line is the earlier you get in the better, Lindner said. “You lose more heart muscle the longer you wait.”

For her actions, Ceili was nominated along with nine other dogs for a Dogs of Valor award sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States. “She went to extraordinary lengths to make a point that something was wrong,” said Colin Berry, innovations director of HSUS. “She may not have known what it was but she tried to let him know.”

Ceili came into Fincher’s and Jewell’s lives 15 years ago as a puppy. Jewell spotted her wandering through a Safeway parking lot and brought her home. At the time, their daughter was an Irish stepdancer. The dog pranced next to her, almost in step, so they named her Ceili (pronounced KAY-lee) after ceili dances, a type of Irish folk dancing. “She kind of named herself,” Jewell said.

She could be vicious around other dogs, but got along with people and quickly became attached to Fincher, a saxophonist who performed with Paul deLay, the late Portland blues harmonica player. In recent years, her health declined, however, and the couple contemplated putting her down. Living on monthly Social Security disability payments, they had little cash for expensive vet bills or even dog food.

Then last year they discovered The Pongo Fund, a food bank for owners with limited means. Since then, they’ve fed Ceili high-quality Canidae senior dog food provided by the agency. “If it wasn’t for The Pongo Fund, I wouldn’t have had the food to feed her,” Jewell said. “And without Ceili, I would have found Danny when I went to bed stone-cold dead.”

The Pongo Fund posted the story of Ceili on its Facebook page leading to her nomination for the award. The top three winners will be announced Sunday along with a people’s choice chosen online at http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/facts/dogs-of-valor-awards/fourth-annual-dogs-of-valor-awards-meet-the-finalists.html

Jewell said the nomination was a welcome surprise. “It’s really nice to see the old girl get some recognition,” Jewell said. “It’s a great honor to be nominated and to show that animals aren’t just something to be kicked around or played with. They have feelings and sense things we can’t. I sleep better knowing Ceili’s keeping an ear and nose on Danny.”

– Lynne Terry

A few months ago I shared the touching story of a devoted dog named Ceili who became a hero when she saved her owner’s life. Ceili’s “dogged” determination prevented Danny from going upstairs to bed, and when he suffered a massive heart attack a few minutes later, she ran to alert Danny’s wife Gayle. Well, I’ve just received some exciting news about Ceili that I wanted to share. Because of Ceili’s lifesaving actions that night, she is a Top 10 Finalist for a national award given to dogs that have shown extraordinary courage or resolve to help a person in need!

I really hope Ceili wins, because she is a true canine hero and definitely deserves this wonderful award. But what I find most intriguing about this story is that several very important things had to happen before Ceili could save her owner’s life. I’m always fascinated by miracle stories that illustrate how things could have turned out differently    “if not for X.” The “X” is always different, but the end result is pretty much the same.

So what needed to happen in order for Ceili to be able to help Danny? First, a great man named Larry Chusid had to have both a dream and unwavering resolve to see it become a reality. Larry wanted to open a pet food bank in Portland, Oregon, and his passion and vision for achieving this dream attracted the attention of CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company. CANIDAE donated $125,000 of their pet food to Larry’s nonprofit organization to get the ball rolling, and the Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank opened in November of 2009.

Meanwhile, Ceili’s owners were struggling financially. They were considering the heartbreaking option of giving Ceili up when they learned of the Pongo Fund, which distributes free pet food twice a month to anyone with a genuine need. Danny and Gayle received some CANIDAE dog food for Ceili and she was able to remain with the family she loved. Not long after this, Ceili saved Danny’s life!

I spoke with Gayle, who was delighted by Ceili’s nomination for this award. “Ceili is Danny’s guardian angel dog. Without her, I would be a widow,” she said. Fifteen years ago, the couple found a tiny Lab mix puppy on the street and named her Ceili, because their daughter was an Irish step dancer and a céilí is a social gathering featuring Irish music and dance.

Ceili and Danny have always had a close bond, Gayle said, and now it’s even stronger. “When Danny was in the hospital, Ceili would look for him every day.” Ceili is on the CANIDAE PLATINUM® formula for seniors and overweight dogs, and is “doing great. Ceili loves her CANIDAE food and chows it down. Her coat looks good and she’s not itchy anymore,” said Gayle.

It’s days like this that make me proud to be associated with a company like CANIDAE. Without their generous donation to Larry Chusid’s charity, the Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank would likely not exist. And without this vital avenue for free pet food, many lives would be irrevocably altered, including those of Danny, Gayle and their “hero dog” Ceili.

Thanks to the continued generosity of our pet food partners, including Canidae All Natural Pet Foods, we have donated more than ONE MILLION lifesaving meals during this past year. Each and every one of them directed to a family pet that might have been given up or abandoned were it not for the emergency food that we provided.

We help the animals when they need us, and the good karma payback that we receive goes well beyond what we give.

Because helping animals and their human families stay together is the right thing to do.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.

www.thepongofund.org

But that’s not all.

The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank also provides emergency pet food to dozens of emergency human food charities throughout Oregon and SW Washington. The list includes some of the biggest charities in Oregon, and this past Sunday it included Sunshine Pantry, Holy Trinity Food Pantry, Dignity Village, Potluck in the Park, Union Gospel Mission and St. Francis Dining Hall; along with two dog rescue groups and the good folks from Meals-On-Wheels.

The Pongo Fund is not a big group. Frankly we’re tiny by most non-profit standards. But we’re mighty, and we work hard 24/7 to ensure that no animal is ever abandoned or surrendered simply because its family cannot afford the food to keep it fed.

We believe that pets are family too, and we’ll do all that we can whenever we can. Be sure to let us know if you ever need us.

At The Pongo Fund, we believe that every single day should be every dog’s day. And the same for the kitties, too. That’s why our Pet Food Bank provides emergency food for 1000’s of them, free of charge, every single month. More than one million meals so far.

Because pets are family too, and no family member should starve when tough economic conditions make it so their human families cannot afford to keep them fed. It’s scary, but during these hard-hitting times that really could be anyone of us. Thanks to our good friends at Canidae Pet Foods, the less fortunate animals of Oregon & SW Washington do not go to bed hungry.

Portland does many things well, but providing emergency cold weather housing for both the homeless and their pets is not one of those things. Several groups provide shelter for the people, but they deny entrance to their pets. How sad to be told that you can come inside, but you must leave your family outside. Where it’s freezing.

Luckily a few groups have stepped forward this winter to provide sleeping quarters for those with both two and four legs. That’s why The Pongo Fund was thrilled to get the call from Amie at the Daybreak Shelter Network. She knew they needed help for the four-legged friends, and she knew she could count on Pongo.

Immediately after hearing from her we responded with both kennels and food for the dogs in her care. With both good food and a safe place to sleep, these dogs had their day. And so did their people.

Larry Chusid, The Pongo Fund

How terribly hard it would be to not be able to afford the food that your four-legged family needs. Forget the Wii, the iPod, the iPad and the Gameboy. Just a bag of kibble. That’s all. Just a bag of kibble.

The Pongo Fund began by providing food for the pets of Portland’s homeless. And in just our first year we have donated more than ONE MILLION meals for the hungry family pets of anyone in honest need. Not just the homeless, but anyone. Because it could be any one of us.

Recently our friends at the Marion-Polk Food Share needed some extra help. This group is a part of the Oregon Food Bank Network and serves as Oregon’s Regional Food Bank for Marion and Polk counties, serving the residents of some 26 different cities.

The holidays are here, and they do not have even one kibble to spare. Not one. Feeding the family without feeding the family pets is not right. And most folks would end up feeding their own dinner to their animals. They needed help, and they needed it now.

The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank did what we’ve done so many times before when time is of the essence. Our call to our friends at TP Freight Lines brought a truck to our loading dock, ready to donate their services to haul food to Salem. Our forklift on loan from the generous folks at PAPE Material Handling did the heavy work, and in short order some two tons of premium pet food was on the road south.

The Pongo Fund works daily to ensure that no family pet goes hungry. And tonight, our four-legged friends in two more Oregon counties are enjoying an excellent dinner because of the vital work that we do.

To everyone that makes these miracles possible, The Pongo Fund says thank you.

As a micro-sized non-profit public charity we barely have a fraction of the budgets of the bigger organizations. Meaning that we must treat every single dollar as precious because we never know when or where the next dollar is coming from.

The challenge for us was how to get a load of pet food to our friends at Linn-Benton Food Share. This group is a part of the Oregon Food Bank Network and serves as Oregon’s Regional Food Bank for Linn and Benton counties, providing emergency food service to struggling families living in 19 different cities.

After having paid for the pet food, we had no money left to pay for the freight to ship it south. As is so often the case when someone learns about The Pongo Fund, good people rush in to help. In this case it was our new friends at TP Freight Lines.

We were all smiles as they arrived at our warehouse after generously offering to donate their freight services so that we could help even more hungry pets throughout Oregon. As they pulled away we knew it would just be a matter of hours before tails would be wagging in Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, Scio, Waterloo and surrounding areas, as TP Freight Lines would soon be delivering nearly 4,000 lbs of premium quality pet food to Linn-Benton Food Share.

The Pongo Fund works daily to ensure that no family pet goes hungry. And tonight, our four-legged friends in 19 more Oregon cities have a chance to enjoy an excellent dinner because of the vital work that we do.

Just another example of why it’s always a good day at The Pongo Fund!

Shannon, Tad and Larry were on hand to greet Mike and his good buddy Apollo, a 2 year-old rescue that joined him for the two hour drive to Portland. In short order we got their truck loaded with nearly 4,000 lbs of premium quality pet food; food that will be the lifeline for hundreds of financially strapped families and their family pets. The best highlight occurred just before they left, as Apollo enjoyed a selection of treats and gave kisses to everyone.

The Pongo Fund works daily to ensure that no family pet goes hungry. And tonight, our four-legged friends in three more Oregon counties are enjoying an excellent dinner because of the vital work that we do.

It was a very good day!

Following is the speech read by Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard during presentation of the Award.

Humanitarian – Larry Chusid + The Pongo Fund

Larry Chusid has centered his life’s work on the principle that making a difference is more important than making a dollar. Inspired by Pongo, his friend and companion for over eighteen years, Larry founded The Pongo Fund in 2007 with the goal of offering support to Portlanders struggling to provide for their family pets.

Larry began by delivering quality pet food to Portland’s most vulnerable citizens; the homeless. He quickly recognized the demand for pet food extended beyond the homeless and into the ranks of everyone who, hard hit by the economy, were having trouble making ends meet.

A chance encounter with a social worker planted the seeds for his next step. She told the story of two small children who saw their family surrender their beloved dog because they could not afford dog food; now these children feared they would be surrendered as well because money was running out.

Believing that no one should be faced with the decision of breaking up their family because they were struggling to pay for food, Larry responded to the gap in Portland’s charitable outreach services by establishing The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank in November 2009. For the first time, Portlanders in need of assistance had the support of a designated resource for quality dog and cat food.

One million meals later, The Pongo Fund remains an all-volunteer public charity, providing quality pet food, free of charge, to anyone in honest need. Larry remains at the helm of this effort and continues to strive to make a difference in his hometown, working tirelessly on the behalf of family pets and their human families. We think Pongo himself would be pleased.

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