It happened exactly 3 ½ years ago today. The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank opened its doors for the first time on November 8, 2009.

On that Sunday morning Pam Bartel was first in line. She and her husband had lost their home to foreclosure after her husband lost his job. And they desperately needed help keeping their animal family fed. Because their pets were family too.

Loading bags of Canidae dog food and Felidae cat food into the trunk of her car, she said she was looking forward to getting home and feeding Fuzzy the dog and Spaghetti the cat. Knowing that they wouldn’t go hungry made her eyes well up. “That makes me want to cry.”

The Pongo Fund remains a small volunteer driven team. A team comprised of diligent and dedicated individuals that together have provided nearly 5,000,000 nutritious meals for tens of thousands of starving family pets throughout Oregon and SW Washington.

A team determined to reduce shelter populations and end needless euthanasia. A team determined to give a chance to animals that might not otherwise have a chance. A team determined to give hope to families that have little else to be hopeful for.

Because sometimes, a simple bowl of kibble can be the force that both keeps a family together and saves the lives of the animals they love.

As Albert Pine said: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

Wishing you Peace Love and Kibble. Thank you from all of us at The Pongo Fund.