Breakfast finished. Raspberries were today’s surprise ingredient. First walk of the day in the books. A nap will arrive shortly. But for now, for this single moment in time, a quiet moment to pause. To reflect. To sit. To sniff. To smell. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. He’ll celebrate his 21st birthday in a few weeks and I think he’s got it down good.

Greeting the day Scooby Style and getting ready for French Fry Friday which will follow just a bit later.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. Stop and Smell. thepongofund.org

From one year ago. She was feeding cans and bottles into the mouth of the bottle return machine. She was tan with the patina of someone that spent a lot of time outdoors. Not a tropical tan. A working tan.

And based on the number of bottles she was returning it looked as if she took this work seriously. It might have even been her main source of income.

I asked her if she would let me include my empty bottles in her bottle cart. I had no more than a dollar’s worth at best. But I wanted to share them with her because I believed she could use that dollar more than I could.

I said it would be a huge favor to me if she would let me do that. But I first waited for her to say it was ok. Because I didn’t want her to think I was just leaving my empty bottles for her to deal with.

She turned around and looked me in the eye and said yes. She then said she would come inside and give me the money for the bottles. But I told her she could keep the redemption value. And then she said thank you.

But she said thank you so warmly that it caught my attention. It was genuine. She said it in a way that made me feel like I had done something special. But I had not, of course. I had simply added a few empty bottles to her cart.

Her thank you stayed on my mind while I shopped. Her taking the extra moment to turn around and look me in the eye and offer that thank you seemed far more valuable to me than the few bottles I had given her.

I was surprised to see her still outside when I left the store. I saw her looking at me, watching me as I walked toward my car. But for some reason it felt like her eyes were pulling at me.

And when I looked again she was standing next to me. I didn’t have a clue what she might say.

So I said the first words. I said “thank you for redeeming my bottles for me. It was really kind of you to do that.” She smiled, and then reached her hand out. She said “this is for you” and she handed me some folded up bills.

I reminded her that the money from my bottles was for her, that she did not need to give it back to me. She said she knew that. And I stood there baffled because she had just handed me an amount of money worth far more than the value of my few bottles.

And then she said the money was from her dog.

She went on to tell me that she recognized me from the several times I had come to her homeless camp to deliver dog food.

And that when she saw me today, wearing my Pongo shirt, she knew I was the same guy that had helped her and her friends many times before.

She told me she was now in housing and no longer homeless. That she had fought her way back from the bad times. And I was glad to hear that, because one day I found the camp was gone and I never knew what happened. And it got even better when she told me her dog was doing well too.

But she said that buying good dog food was expensive and no matter how hard she tried, there were some times that she could not afford it. She didn’t say it in a way that said she wanted me to give her more dog food. She said it in a way that told me good dog food was important to her. Really important.

So during those couple of times each month when money was extra short, she said she would go to one of the food pantries that gives out dog food from The Pongo Fund. And she thanked me for having that food there for her and her dog whenever they needed it.

And then she said “because without my dog…” but her words just trailed off and the sentence was never completed. But I knew what she meant. We all know what she meant.

The money was still in my hand. I hadn’t even opened it up for the last several moments as she told me her story. My hand and I were both frozen in time as she spoke.

And I knew that no matter how much I wanted her to keep her money it was going to stay in my hand and be put to work helping others in need. Because that was exactly what she wanted.

I thanked her again and we went our separate ways. Several minutes went by before I realized that my hand was still clenched tight around those folded up bills. And I drove on with those bills still there.

My hand was getting numb but I didn’t want to open it. I wanted to hold that moment as long as I could.

It was $14. I counted it while stopped at a red light. And even though I knew it was $14 I just kept counting it. It felt like so much more.

And then I pulled over to the curb and reached into my own pocket and pulled out $14. I added my $14 to her $14. I held all of it in my hand. Now it was $28.

A couple of friends each gave $14 more. Now it was $56. One of their friends gave $14. Now it was $70.

The $14 Club wasn’t meant to be a club. It just happened. It happened because a woman wanted to pay it back while paying it forward. Maybe you’d like to do it too? To give $14?

Because how kind it would be to give $14 to honor this woman who pays her way by returning the bottles that others leave behind. She works hard. She works proud. And she loves her dog.

The best part?

It may very well be the best $14 any of us have ever given. The donation link is here: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/

$14.

Just knowing that you shared your time to read this story is meaningful to me. And I thank you.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

She came running over and dropped to her knees and said “Oh Scooby, I Love You.” It caught us both by surprise. The whole while that she’s petting him, she’s totally ignoring me. In that moment, I wasn’t even there.

She told Scooby he was the most special and handsome dog ever and that he looked just like George Clooney. And then she found one of his sweet spots and he went down and just took those belly rubs fast as she could deliver them. And then, in a moment on top of a crazy moment, she proposed to him. For reals.

She asked Scooby to marry her.

She told him that in this day and age anyone can marry anyone and I quickly handed her one of Scooby’s special treats and she gave it to him and he ate it and she kissed him and he kissed her and that was that.

In other words, I think they’re engaged. Or course you’re all invited. That is, if we ever see her again.

She then sang him an early Happy Birthday song because she knew he turns 21 in a few weeks. And then she left with the biggest smile on her face, telling us she’ll see us on Facebook.

I loved that moment. And she’s right. I think Scooby looks like George Clooney too.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show​, we know you love George Clooney. So if you’re out there we know you’d love Scooby too.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. He’s Engaged! thepongofund.org

Snoopy. I met this giant love bug the day he was adopted 10 years ago. He ran around my back yard leaping like a gazelle. A non-stop smile on his face the entire time. He went to live on a large property with a family that loved him tight. He had it all.

A mass was detected this past Saturday. He was in surgery on Monday. Thankfully they got the mass, all 5.5 lbs of it. But while in recovery he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Snoopy was one of the best friends anyone could ever hope for. And now he runs on rainbows and sleeps in clouds frolicking with all of the other great friends that have gone before him.

But here’s the weird thing. I know of several animal friends that crossed the Rainbow Bridge these past few days. It’s been a busy time. And that’s the real story.

Because that means something big was going on and each of these beloved souls was needed to help someone else through their tough times. And because each one of those that left was one of the best and had already earned their wings, of course it was time for them to move on.

It doesn’t mean it was easy. But they knew they were loved. Always, always, always loved. It was you that made that happen. And because of your love, they know they will never be forgotten.

This is for all of them:

“A Prayer for the Animals” by Albert Schweitzer:

Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals,
especially for animals who are suffering;
for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry;
for all that must be put to death.
We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity,
and for those who deal with them
we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals
and so to share the blessings of the merciful.”

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. Missing Them All. thepongofund.org

The woman from Kitty Cat Village said it wasn’t really a village. Just the apartment building where she lived. But she and some of the other seniors living there decided that Kitty Cat Village sounded more fun so that’s what they called it.

But besides her and a few neighbors, no one else knew. Because what they were doing was illegal. Yes, they were lawbreakers. And Kitty Cat Village must remain a secret.

That’s because they were caring for a few more cats than they were supposed to have. But she said they could not say no. Since they all had cats already, adding a few more was easy to do.

So they decided to adopt the oldest shelter cats that no one else wanted so they could live out their years with comfort and grace.

But then a series of things happened all at once. It was, as she called it, just a load of poop. And suddenly Kitty Cat Village was about out of food and money was tight and they knew it would be a struggle for the next few months. And that’s why they were reaching out now.

They knew The Pongo Fund was not anywhere near where they were. But they were hopeful.

Kitty Cat Village sounds like a wonderful place. And we wish there was a Kitty Cat Village in every apartment building. But helping places like Kitty Cat Village is not really the direct focus of The Pongo Fund. Our focus is Oregon and Washington. The states where we’ve provided the bulk of our more than 8,000,000 high-quality meals and helped keep tens of thousands of hungry family pets safe at home and out of the shelters.

But still. Could we? How?

Because the bigger problem was that Kitty Cat Village was in New York. Thousands of miles away.

Shipping bags of cat food is expensive. Really expensive. And that just wouldn’t work. So I mentioned to a friend that I sure wish we had a truckload of something shipping to New York so we could add some cat food too.

Well, he told someone who told someone else and all of a sudden a guy that was shipping several pallets to New York said he had a little extra room. Would we like to include some cat food?

And that’s how the cat food meowed its way to Kitty Cat Village. Thanks to our newest Kibble Courier.

But that’s not all.

Because the bigger story was not the delivery. It was the cat food itself. Because sometimes things just make sense. And that’s why we knew that some of the cat food we had in Oregon needed to be in New York.

How did we know that? It was almost as if a Great Spirit Cat was watching over us, purring in our ear so we knew what to do. Really.

And who was that Great Spirit Cat?

That was Baby the Cat. He was BTC to me. His Mom is my friend. And he was a New York cat. We lost him almost one year ago on July 25, 2014. And when that happened a very special friend of BTC donated a chunk of money to buy cat food in his memory so that other cat friends would not go hungry.

As the first anniversary of Baby’s passing came closer, The Pongo Fund was once again surprised by the news of a special cat food donation in memory of Baby. And just like that, as if it were meant to be, here were the Kitty Cat Grandmas of Kitty Cat Village, asking if we could help.

Although Baby the Cat had crossed the Rainbow Bridge one year ago, we knew he still stayed busy in New York keeping an eye on his Mom and family. He’s a cool cat like that.

So it just made sense. Some of this food donated in memory of a New York kitty needed to make its way back home to help other New York kitties. So it did.

Tummies are full at Kitty Cat Village. But don’t tell anyone, because it’s a secret.

In memory of Baby the Cat. What a handsome man he was. Just look at those photos. He left peacefully and pain free. The bravest cat you’ll ever know. He fought every battle with courage and grace. Greeting each day with love. A kind soul. An old soul. Loved by all. And always giving so much love in return. Purrs of love to you always, Sweet Baby. Purrs of love to you always.

Baby the Cat. He’s everywhere. And Always in a New York State of Mind.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. BTC Forever. thepongofund.org

When I tiptoe through the door because I know The Scoobs is sleeping. When I close the door ever-so-quietly and softly place my keys on the counter so as to not make a sound. I know that any moment Scooby will see me through his nose. Maybe I’m in his dreams right now. I hope so.

I’m sitting just across the room typing this very moment, in real time. Watching this almost 21-year-old Angel sleep. Looking at that face that I so much want to kiss but will not because that will startle him.

They Came. They Kibbled. They Conquered. They Left. But in-between the Tripwire Kibble-Pack All Stars took on the challenge of repackaging an entire ton of super-high quality dog food in record time. And they did it short-handed when part of their team was unable to bring their kibble fingers along to help.

But here’s the best part. Not that they packaged the food so that more hungry animals get to have dinner. No. The best part is the cycle of giving that took place.

You see, that one ton of food was donated thanks to Green Dog Pet Supply and their generous customers. And when the Tripwire Team was finished, they announced they would be making a very generous contribution so that they could provide the food for the next Kibble Pack event.

A few weeks ago a little dog broke loose from his yard. Truly just a tiny guy. But he got spooked and found a way out and kept going. This dog, this giant of a little man, belongs to a veterinarian friend of The Pongo Fund. And along with everyone else, we too were heartbroken. Hours turned into days turned into weeks. Still gone. Hope remained only because this tiny tot was spotted running along freeways and other busy areas. But no one could get close.

Four weeks went by. An entire month. And then it happened. Someone was able to get close enough to catch this dog. And he is now home. Safe. In good shape. And not wanting to go back outside.

It was about two years ago. We helped Jerry, Eileen and Sammy. They thanked us many times. Real thanks. Sincere thanks. And that was enough. But now they thanked us again. A sweet note with $20 from each one of them.

We know their times have not really improved. But it was time, as they said, to thank us again so that another family could be helped.

A look back to helping Jerry, Eileen and Sammy. Proud but hungry. But never complaining.

Gray days are even grayer when you have no money for life’s basics. Like food. Even if you had the money, no car means a bus ride. And with the nearest grocery store a few miles and two bus transfers away, it’s not an easy trip when your bad leg is acting up. So what do you do?

Stay home and turn on the heat and curl up with a good book and try to forget your hunger? But there is no heat. Watch TV? There is no TV.

This is the situation faced by Jerry and Eileen, two 60 somethings that said they remember better days. And even the worst of them was better than what they’re facing now. Their story is not unique. But for them it is. Both are college graduates, hampered by a combination of work, personal, family, health and other life issues that remind us nothing is guaranteed.

And counting on their adult son turned out to be a big mistake. “Huge mistake,” Eileen said. “Huge.” Supporting him for too long meant little left for them, but she said they’d likely do it again. “He’s our son. What do we tell him? Leave?” Followed by a knowing look between Jerry and Eileen that said maybe they wish they had. Obviously there was far more to the story but that was not the story we were there for.

Because what The Pongo Fund Emergency Kibble Response Team needed to focus on was Sammy, a 12 year-old mix of terrier, boxer, poodle, labrador, golden retriever, pit bull and every other dog imaginable. The point is no one knows for sure what breed Sammy is. But he’s family.

They ran out of food for Sammy when a payday for a week of hard work did not come. But like many they did not want to ask for help because so many others have it far worse. So they decided to wait it out. To all eat less together for a few days. “We can all stand to lose a little weight,” Eileen said with raspy chuckle compliments of a nasty cold.

But then the next payday did not arrive as promised either. Meaning they needed to ask for help now, that they could wait no longer. Luckily their local food pantry is one of the many food pantries that The Pongo Fund keeps supplied with dog and cat food. But Sammy needed a special diet due to nasty allergies so they called us.

The good news is that we had exactly what Sammy needed. It was a brand new bag of food that one of our Pongo Friends had just donated a few days earlier. A bag of food that was a kind of food we rarely have. And when the donor gave it to us, she said it was the very same food that her dog ate. And that her dog, for his birthday, had decided to donate a bag to The Pongo Fund instead of getting a bag of treats for himself. Dogs donating food for other dogs that have none. Her dog also donated a bag of birthday cat food too. Because he loves the kitties. How cool is that?

And as life so often does, it brought together a series of random moments. Both broken-hearted and heart-healing, blending them together into one beautiful moment that meant Sammy got a big bag of the exact food he needed. And that meant he would eat well for the entire month. No matter what, Sammy had food. And Jerry and Eileen said that knowing Sammy had food made them feel like they had food too. We knew what they meant. That their hearts were full. But we knew their stomachs were still empty.

Mother Teresa said “If you cannot feed 100, then feed just one.” But in this case it was just three. So our Emergency Kibble Response Team did what they knew needed to be done.

It was the very thing they’ve done before. They went shopping. Digging into their own pockets to pay the bill that would mean far more than those dollars could ever mean being spent on something else.

Even picking up a small scented candle with a fragrance that Eileen had casually mentioned always brought her good memories from when she was a child. And for Jerry a copy of Sports Illustrated. He’s a huge college football fan and his well-worn Ducks shirt told us he might have gone to U of O. But without TV he doesn’t get to watch any games so he tries to keep up by reading magazines at the library. Now he had the current issue. And a bag of his favorite peanuts.

Being on the Emergency Kibble Response Team is not always easy. We never know what we will find. On the best of days we find hope, love and gratitude. On the best of days we find Jerry, Eileen and Sammy. Fiercely proud and still smiling despite some tough times.

Acts of kindness, however small – a smile, a compliment, a helping hand – plant seeds of hope, love, and beauty. For Jerry, Eileen and Sammy, we hope their garden blooms.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

It is as it was. Tonight, like last night. Happily, the best kind of repeat. Scooby and I will toast the evening Fourth of July sky together. No crowds. No parties. Just a comfortable lawn busy with honey bees and butterflies dancing the night away. We watch. We discuss. We eat blueberries and sip chardonnay. We drip watermelon juice from eating chunks too big. His smiling face that says it all. Because when Scooby smiles, I smile too.

I do not spend my Fourth of July eves at home with almost 21-year-old Scooby to protect him from fireworks. Because of all the years he spent living on the streets such loud noises do not startle him. I spend my eves with him because I love him.