The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank provides premium quality dog and cat food for the family pets of anyone in honest need. We do this with courtesy and compassion, and with the hope that we will bring solace to a family in crisis. Because pets are family too, and no family member deserves to starve.

For us, every day is a rewarding day. But this past Sunday was an especially rewarding day, as we donated nearly 15,000 meals of premium quality Canidae, Felidae & Dogswell pet food for more than 500 family pets belonging to 140 families. Family pets that, without us, might be surrendered or abandoned simply because their families cannot afford to feed them.

But what made this Sunday especially rewarding was what one of our guests told me.

She took me by the hand and with teary eyes told me that The Pongo Fund saved her life. She said that her cats were her only family and that, if anything happened to them, she would not want to go on without them.

She’d been out of work for months, and spent her food stamps on human food for her cats. This left her hungry, but she was okay with that. At least, that’s what she said. But I knew it wasn’t true. I knew the truth was that she was hungry and scared, and that she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t need to tell me that; it was etched on her face. 

And that’s how we saved a life last Sunday. Because the premium quality Felidae cat food that we provided to her, for her cats, would be the conduit that would ultimately keep them all alive. Because now her cats could eat, and she could eat, and no one would go to bed hungry.

Thank you to Canidae, Felidae & Dogswell, along with each of our great Team Pongo volunteers, because they are the ones that make this all possible.

Allison M., Allison S., Christina, Darla, Elliot, Emilio, J., Jim, Jody, Julie, Karen, Katie, Kathy, Kelly, Kim, Laura, Laurie G., Laurie R., Leeann, Leslie, Linda, Marc, Mark, Michelle R., Michelle S., Mike B., Mike S., Nancy, Peggy, Sara, Sarah, Shannon, Tad and Tanya…thank you for putting forth the kind of courtesy, compassion and professionalism that would make Nordstrom proud.

It is because of your open hearts and willingness to embrace those that need us that we were able to save a life on this day.

Larry Chusid, Director, The Pongo Fund