These past few weeks The Pongo Fund Emergency Kibble Response Team delivered food and hope to several different cities. Each delivery responding to an emergency that required pet food. But each time we delivered more.

A woman with MS that had her meds unexpectedly skyrocket in cost. A man who lost a limb and found he faced many more expenses than planned. An octogenarian battling cancer who promised his wife he would be there for their dog just before she passed away.

I’ll stop there because some of the stories would make you just burst out in tears. And that’s not the point.

The reasons are many. Sometimes there are massive problems that occur out of nowhere. Sometimes simpler challenges that could have been avoided. But beyond the reason and the cause, the need is the same.

A hungry animal whose life is at stake because their people do not have the money to keep them fed. And every time those animals are going hungry, we know their people are going hungry too.

So whenever possible we try to help two by helping one. Why? Because they both need us.

But each time we have to first ask ourselves can we help? And if so, how do we help? Because we’re not a big group. And we don’t have a ton of money like the big groups do.

Each time we must remain careful to not lose focus on the work we do that helps thousands in our own community. Thousands that get to remain safe in their homes and out of the shelters.

But in so many ways, as we help more, the entire country is becoming our community. Because we are all in this together.

These are exciting times for The Pongo Fund. But the truth is, most people have never even heard of us. This tiny volunteer driven organization in Portland, Oregon, that directly helps more animals than any other group in Oregon, remains an unknown.

But you know. And we know.

And together we will continue to celebrate the victories of those we help. And together we will continue to mourn the losses of those we could not.

Doing our best. And this is why we Pongo.

“Never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or an animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org