We all know that times are tough. Even tougher still for some of us more than others, particularly now during the holidays. The very special time of year that draws family even closer together, lending support wherever possible. And for many, that biggest burst of support comes from the wagging tail of the family pet.

How terribly hard it would be to not be able to afford the food that your four-legged family needs. Forget the Wii, the iPod, the iPad and the Gameboy. Just a bag of kibble. That’s all. Just a bag of kibble.

The Pongo Fund began by providing food for the pets of Portland’s homeless. And in just our first year we have donated more than ONE MILLION meals for the hungry family pets of anyone in honest need. Not just the homeless, but anyone. Because it could be any one of us.

Recently our friends at the Marion-Polk Food Share needed some extra help. This group is a part of the Oregon Food Bank Network and serves as Oregon’s Regional Food Bank for Marion and Polk counties, serving the residents of some 26 different cities.

The holidays are here, and they do not have even one kibble to spare. Not one. Feeding the family without feeding the family pets is not right. And most folks would end up feeding their own dinner to their animals. They needed help, and they needed it now.

The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank did what we’ve done so many times before when time is of the essence. Our call to our friends at TP Freight Lines brought a truck to our loading dock, ready to donate their services to haul food to Salem. Our forklift on loan from the generous folks at PAPE Material Handling did the heavy work, and in short order some two tons of premium pet food was on the road south.

The Pongo Fund works daily to ensure that no family pet goes hungry. And tonight, our four-legged friends in two more Oregon counties are enjoying an excellent dinner because of the vital work that we do.

To everyone that makes these miracles possible, The Pongo Fund says thank you.

Every day is a good day for The Pongo Fund as our Pet Food Bank continues doing everything that we can to ensure that no family pet ever goes to bed hungry. So far we have risen to the challenge, having donated more than ONE MILLION meals just this year.

As a micro-sized non-profit public charity we barely have a fraction of the budgets of the bigger organizations. Meaning that we must treat every single dollar as precious because we never know when or where the next dollar is coming from.

The challenge for us was how to get a load of pet food to our friends at Linn-Benton Food Share. This group is a part of the Oregon Food Bank Network and serves as Oregon’s Regional Food Bank for Linn and Benton counties, providing emergency food service to struggling families living in 19 different cities.

After having paid for the pet food, we had no money left to pay for the freight to ship it south. As is so often the case when someone learns about The Pongo Fund, good people rush in to help. In this case it was our new friends at TP Freight Lines.

We were all smiles as they arrived at our warehouse after generously offering to donate their freight services so that we could help even more hungry pets throughout Oregon. As they pulled away we knew it would just be a matter of hours before tails would be wagging in Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, Scio, Waterloo and surrounding areas, as TP Freight Lines would soon be delivering nearly 4,000 lbs of premium quality pet food to Linn-Benton Food Share.

The Pongo Fund works daily to ensure that no family pet goes hungry. And tonight, our four-legged friends in 19 more Oregon cities have a chance to enjoy an excellent dinner because of the vital work that we do.

Just another example of why it’s always a good day at The Pongo Fund!

Today was another milestone for The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank as we shipped nearly two tons of premium quality pet food to the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council in The Dalles. This group is a part of the Oregon Food Bank Network and serves as Oregon’s Regional Food Bank for Hood River, Sherman & Wasco counties.

Shannon, Tad and Larry were on hand to greet Mike and his good buddy Apollo, a 2 year-old rescue that joined him for the two hour drive to Portland. In short order we got their truck loaded with nearly 4,000 lbs of premium quality pet food; food that will be the lifeline for hundreds of financially strapped families and their family pets. The best highlight occurred just before they left, as Apollo enjoyed a selection of treats and gave kisses to everyone.

The Pongo Fund works daily to ensure that no family pet goes hungry. And tonight, our four-legged friends in three more Oregon counties are enjoying an excellent dinner because of the vital work that we do.

It was a very good day!

During a special session of the Portland, Oregon, City Council held November 8th, 2010, Larry Chusid, founder of The Pongo Fund, was both honored and humbled to receive the prestigious City of Portland’s 2010 Spirit of Portland Humanitarian Award on behalf of The Pongo Fund.

Following is the speech read by Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard during presentation of the Award.

Humanitarian – Larry Chusid + The Pongo Fund

Larry Chusid has centered his life’s work on the principle that making a difference is more important than making a dollar. Inspired by Pongo, his friend and companion for over eighteen years, Larry founded The Pongo Fund in 2007 with the goal of offering support to Portlanders struggling to provide for their family pets.

Larry began by delivering quality pet food to Portland’s most vulnerable citizens; the homeless. He quickly recognized the demand for pet food extended beyond the homeless and into the ranks of everyone who, hard hit by the economy, were having trouble making ends meet.

A chance encounter with a social worker planted the seeds for his next step. She told the story of two small children who saw their family surrender their beloved dog because they could not afford dog food; now these children feared they would be surrendered as well because money was running out.

Believing that no one should be faced with the decision of breaking up their family because they were struggling to pay for food, Larry responded to the gap in Portland’s charitable outreach services by establishing The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank in November 2009. For the first time, Portlanders in need of assistance had the support of a designated resource for quality dog and cat food.

One million meals later, The Pongo Fund remains an all-volunteer public charity, providing quality pet food, free of charge, to anyone in honest need. Larry remains at the helm of this effort and continues to strive to make a difference in his hometown, working tirelessly on the behalf of family pets and their human families. We think Pongo himself would be pleased.

www.facebook.com/ThePongoFund

 

September 26th was another record setting day for The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank, and yet another reminder that we’re doing exactly what’s needed during these exceedingly tough economic times. A line of families one block long sends a powerful message.

In a matter of just a handful of hours we provided several tons of quality Canidae, Felidae & Dogswell dog and cat food, free of charge, to some 177 families. Families that are struggling, yet love and care about their faithful four-legged family pets no less than you or I do. But right now, they cannot afford the food to keep them fed.

And that’s where The Pongo Fund comes in. Because we provide them with the food they need, but what we really do is provide them with so much more. We provide them with smiles and greetings, and we treat them with courtesy and dignity and respect. And we thank them for taking the time to come and see us, and allowing us to help their family during this time of need. Because asking for help is never easy.

And when they leave us, they leave not only with nourishment for their pets, but they leave with nourishment for their souls as well. And at the end of these very busy days, the Pongo volunteers that dedicate more than 600 hours each and every month feel nourished as well.

Larry Chusid, Director

It’s a choice that no one should have to make. But for Kevin’s family, it was a very real choice. And diapers won.

There was no money left, not a cent, to buy anything else. Meaning that Prince, their beloved cat, would face dinnertime without dinner. There was a single can of tuna to share, caught and canned for them by a friend. A special treat for their dinner that they would now share three ways so Prince would have some dinner too. But that meant there was still no cat food.

Kevin called The Pongo Fund around 3pm. He said he needed help. And that was just one of nearly a dozen similar calls on this day; the first one coming as early as 6:00 am. Please understand that we don’t mind getting these calls; helping families and their pets is what we do. And we’re committed to doing it well, helping several thousand family pets each month. But the dozen or so calls that came on this day came on a day that we were not even open; a testament to the trust placed in us. People know that we’re here to help them, no matter when they call us. And that’s a compliment to everyone involved with The Pongo Fund.

Economic conditions continue to erode. Families facing financial crisis continue to hold on any way that they can. But holding on is getting tougher and tougher. And hope is easily lost. It’s a struggle to keep a family fed every single day, and it’s a struggle that would eventually wear anyone down. For those families with pets, pets that are likely the sole source of sunlight on otherwise cloudy days, the struggles are even worse.

Because after a while the lack of food means that a beloved family pet gets surrendered to a local shelter. The realities of it finding a new home are slim. The results are tragic. All because a family is a few dollars and a few kibble short. The truth is, it could be anyone of us. For Kevin and his family, it was the perfect storm of a lost job and a new baby.

And that’s why The Pongo Fund exists. We’re here to provide a quality meal for the family pets of anyone in honest need. Further protecting these beloved animals from being abandoned or surrendered, simply because their families cannot currently afford the food to keep their pets fed.

Thanks to our generous friends at Canidae, Felidae and Dogswell, we’ve provided more than 500,000 quality meals for starving family pets so far this year. Giving a chance to animals that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance; and hope to families frequently without any hope.

The first thing Kevin did when he walked in was extend his hand, apologizing for being late. I welcomed him and thanked him for making the drive. A drive that was more than an hour in rush-hour traffic, because feeding their cat was no less important to him than feeding his child. And here he was, apologizing to me for being late. I could see that this man was hurting.

He told me that he was ashamed. He asked “if a father cannot feed his family, what kind of a man is he?” I told him he was the kind of man that took the time to ask for help, and that was important. He smiled a small smile. It wasn’t a smile like an on-your-birthday smile. It was a sense-of-relief smile; the kind of smile that meant he now knew he would make it through another day with his entire family still together.

As Kevin left I assured him that The Pongo Fund would continue to help him as often as he needed us. He thanked me, emphasizing it so that I understood just how important this really was. He said that The Pongo Fund treated him like a friend, not a stranger. And he never expected that.

A bit later I noticed him still parked on the corner. I walked over and saw that it was not just Kevin, but also his wife and baby. I asked if everything was ok; they assured me it was. Said it was time to feed the baby, and that’s what they had been doing. Parked on the corner during rush hour traffic, and bent over in the back seat with a bottle. With the baby fed, now it was time to head home to feed Prince.

On this day The Pongo Fund made a difference for Kevin and his family. And that includes their cat Prince, because pets are family too. While The Pongo Fund is most widely known for running a pet food bank that helps thousands of families and family pets every month, we are really much more than that. Because we give more than food; we give hope.

Just ask the family that drove more than an hour so their cat would have food for his dinner. We provided them with kibble but most importantly, we provided them with hope and solace. And a reminder that we continue to be here for them; to help them through these tough times. Because that’s what friends do.

Larry Chusid, Director

Since November, 2009, thousands of families have turned to The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank for assistance. Families so strapped that for the moment they cannot afford to purchase the food necessary to keep their pets alive.

To date we’ve provided these families with more than 500,000 meals for their starving pets; helping everyone have the chance for a good dinner.

This past Sunday some 148 families turned to us when they had no where else to turn. And their pets will live to see another day.

We’re a pet food bank, but what we really do is stand up for families in crisis. We wage a battle every day in the fight against hunger. Since people consistently give up their own food to feed their pets, we focus our help at the most fundamental level.

Quite simply, we give a chance to animals that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance, and give hope to families frequently without hope. Because anyone that has a pet has a family. And no family member should go hungry, be they with two legs or four.

Thankfully, we’re not in this alone.

Canidae All Natural Pet Foods and Dogswell Pet Food Company offer our community a level of generous support that simply cannot be articulated in words. Their commitments help keep our pet food bank stocked with premium quality food at a level that means we don’t run out. And while having well stocked cupboards is crucial, it takes more than food for a food based operation to be successful.

It takes respect and dignity and courtesy, and a focus on providing solace to everyone coming through our doors. We are a pet food bank, but we are also a lifeline for every family and every family pet going hungry.

When The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank first opened, we knew that we were needed. The news could not be ignored; times were tough everywhere. And in Oregon, the times were even tougher than most places. While economic conditions may be improving for some families, for many others conditions continue to erode. Giving up their own food to keep their pets alive; starving themselves so that their pets don’t. An altruistic choice that no one should ever have to make.

That’s where The Pongo Fund comes in. We feed the family by feeding their pets; allowing each to have good food for their dinner. But sometimes just having food available is not enough. Sometimes folks cannot get to the food, and they lose hope. Not knowing where to turn for help, they suffer in silence.

That’s what Paul was doing yesterday. He was suffering because he had no food, having taken the meager food box rations he received and fed them to his two dogs, Coco and Lazer. Now the food was gone, and none of them had eaten for three days. And more money for more food would not arrive until the 1st.

Thankfully he got in touch with his caseworker at the Oregon Department of Human Services. He told Chelle the situation, and that he didn’t know what to do. Luckily, Chelle knew what to do. She immediately made the call to The Pongo Fund, explaining that lives were in jeopardy. And The Pongo Fund took it from there.

Our Critical Response Team kicked into action, a team of individuals geared to resolve situations like this quickly because every moment counts. A call was made to Salty’s Dog Shop in Portland; the closest pet food store to where Paul, Coco and Lazer live. And within a matter of minutes, they had a big bag of Canidae ALS dog food mobilized and ready for Paul.

Please think about that for a moment… a HUGE organization like the Department of Human Services working with a small-but-mighty group like Pongo. How could that be? The answer is because we all care; working together to deliver a message of hope every day.

The message from Paul said it best. His words were carefully chosen, but more powerful than any professional speaker could have articulated. He said “My pups are my life. They eat before me. And tonight we will all eat. Tonight is a great night. How can I ever thank you.”

You already have, Paul; you already have.

Times continue to be tough and the community need is growing; but the options for where people can go for help are not. The Pongo Fund is the place that more and more will turn. We’re doing good things, as Paul, Lazer & Coco will attest.

Thanks to the generosity provided by Canidae All Natural Pet Foods, Dogswell Pet Food Company and great community partners like Salty’s Dog Shop, our doors will remain open and we will continue to battle hunger.

Giving a chance to animals that otherwise wouldn’t a chance, and hope to families frequently without hope. It’s the right thing to do.

Larry Chusid
Director
The Pongo Fund
PO Box 8244
Portland OR 97207
larry@thepongofund.org

Thank you to everyone at Furever Pets and their especially generous customers, including Sebastian, McMurphy, Zack, Gizmo, Benti, Gitche Gumee, Georgia, Kirby, Tiny Elvis, Tabitha, Pete, Izzy, Zeus, Nikki, Winston, Perry Mason, Isabel, Lady, Sunshine, Heather, Rosie, Frankie, Murphy, Rosey, Della, Bibu, Speckle, Sophie, Sam, Hudson, Monroe, Mimi, Mynx, Castor, Helios, Sammy, Howie, Pollux & Boo.

Together they donated more than $1500 of food to The Pongo Fund during their Summer Super Sale Pet Food Drive last weekend. We are honored by such generosity, and will use it to continue our mission of providing some 50,000 meals each month for the starving family pets of anyone in honest need. Further protecting these much loved animals from being abandoned or surrendered simply because their families cannot currently afford the food to keep them fed.

The Pongo Fund is Oregon’s only singularly dedicated pet food charity, and we work hard every single day to keep starving pets alive, reduce shelter populations and keep families together.

Simply put, we give a chance to animals that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance; and hope to families frequently without any hope. On behalf of our entire community and all those that we help, The Pongo Fund says thank you.

BUY A BAG FOR PONGO at the Furever Pets Pet Food Drive for The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank.

Please join Furever Pets during the NE Broadway Summer Super Sale, Friday 7/16 – Sunday 7/18. It’s their BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR with specials galore…stop by and say hello and Buy A Bag For Pongo.

The Pongo Fund, an all-volunteer non-profit public charity, is Oregon’s largest charitable pet food resource. We provide some 50,000 meals each month for starving family pets; much-loved pets that would likely be abandoned or surrendered simply because their families cannot currently afford the food to them fed. We reduce shelter populations, we keep families together…we keep pets alive. All with one bag of food.

Furever Pets 1902 NE Broadway Street, Portland…, OR 97232 t: 503.282.4225
Mon – Fri 10 am to 8 pm, Sat 10 am – 7 pm, Sun 10 am – 6 pm

Imagine you’re trapped inside a parked car. The windows are only open a crack. The temperature is rising, and you have no water. On top of all this, imagine you’re wearing a thick coat and that you have no idea when you’ll be able to get out of the car.

Did you know that a dog left in a car on a warm day can collapse from heatstroke in just minutes? Many people love their dogs and want to take them with them wherever they go. But when the mercury rises, it’s safest to leave Rover at home.

On a 78-degree day, a car parked in the sun can reach 160 degrees in minutes. Even opening windows or parking in the shade won’t prevent a dog from getting overheated. The heat is especially hard on dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paws. With only hot air to breathe, dogs and other animals can suffer irreparable brain damage and even die of heatstroke.

PROTECT YOUR DOG BY TAKING THE FOLLOWING PRECAUTIONS:

Don’t take a chance; leave your dog at home on warm days. Even just a quick trip to the store can be deadly.

Learn the signs of heat exhaustion: restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid pulse, fever, vomiting, glazed eyes, dizziness, or lack of coordination.

If your dog shows any of these symptoms, get him or her to shade or air conditioning right away. Lower body temperature gradually by providing water to drink, applying a cold towel or ice pack to the head, neck, and chest, or immersing your dog in cool (not cold) water.

If you see a dog, or a child, in danger, first CALL 911, then try to have the dog’s guardian paged inside the store.

Time is of the essence…even a few moments could be deadly for a dog left inside a hot car. Step up and protect the innocent…don’t let a dog die.

757-622-PETA      HelpingAnimals.com