The call started with tears. The kind of tears that rushed out so hard and so fast that they became choking gasps. Then words came. She said “I’ve never had to ask for help before. I’m so embarrassed. Please don’t judge me.” Her name is Bertie. And she was hurting.

She was hurting because she would be out of food tomorrow. And she didn’t know what to do. So with hope in her heart she called The Pongo Fund to help keep her family from starving. Her family that includes two kitties that are more than 14 years old. One has orange and white stripes, the other grey and white stripes. Both are beautiful. And her third cat, a bit younger, is a Siamese. All were rescued from shelters. All have been spayed and neutered.

This is a woman who is doing everything right. But right now, after a bitter cold December, she does not have enough money to pay her heating bill. So she used the cat food money to keep the heat from being shut off.

And now she is on the phone with The Pongo Fund. And she is crying for help. She is crying because she is embarrassed. We told her that everything would be ok. Because we knew it would.

The Pongo Fund receives calls like this almost daily. And when those calls come in, our Emergency Kibble Response Team jumps into action. Today, for Bertie, we turned to one of our Pongo Friends for help. Because what we do takes a village. And today that village includes the good folks at Portland’s own Green Dog Pet Supply.

Green Dog is one of the very best stores anyway. And if you have pets, they will become the best friend for your best friends. And right after Bertie called, we called them. We told them we needed food ASAP for three cats. And without a moment of hesitation they said yes.

And that meant that less than five minutes after Bertie called us, we called her back and told her to catch the next bus and head straight to Green Dog. She cried. She said thank you. And then she cried some more as she hung up the phone.

Thank you Green Dog Pet Supply for helping hungry seniors keep their hungry senior cats fed.  Thank you for being there for others when they have nowhere else to turn. It is an honor to call you friend.

Tonight Bertie’s kitties will have the best dinner ever. And this is why we Pongo!

Peace. Love. Kibble. thepongofund.org