She arrived by ambulance the night before. But she had to leave her cat behind.

The call came on a sunny Sunday afternoon from Oregon’s largest hospital. A patient was in critical care, arriving by ambulance the night before. Her cat was home alone. The woman in tremendous pain, made even worse knowing her cat was left behind. The call came from the caseworker on duty. She’d never heard of The Pongo Fund but others had so she made the call.

Could The Pongo Fund help?

We were there within the hour.

Security moved me to the elevator that took me to where this sweet woman was being treated. I needed to get her keys and then return to her apartment to get her cat. The building she lives in, is not one of Portland’s finest. This is a woman who greets each day from a broken wheelchair, compounded now with a more broken body.

A feisty senior with fond memories of life in the deep South from years gone by. Now getting by on the bare minimum of social security with little extra money to care for her best friend.

A best friend named Tom that she met about a year earlier when he fit in the palm of her hand. He lived happily in her small apartment, with two windows where he could watch the birds in the trees. He had a closet to hide in, with another favorite place under the bed. And four different food and water bowls.

Tom told me he had it all. And that’s why it was so hard on him. His Mom, she was gone.

I called my friend the Kitty Wrangler, a woman who gives her all for every cat every where. She met me at the apartment and we entered together, quickly scooping this little guy into the carrier that would transport him to safety. And that was more than a month ago.

Yes. More than a month ago.

To feel what that moment was like, take a look at his eyes. You don’t need to speak Cat to see the fear he felt. But at least he was safe in his carrier, and then we were off.

What The Pongo Fund did, others don’t. There are really no programs for moments like these. I understand why not. But still, these are not uncommon moments. We get calls from many hospitals for dogs and cats, asking if we can find space for one more.

One more. One more. One more.

Sounds easy, right? It’s not.

Because what if that dog or that cat’s person, needs extended care of many months? Then what? Or what if that dog or cat’s person doesn’t make it? Then what? Or what if that dog or cat is sick and needs immediate veterinary care? Then what?

Not so easy then.

And that’s why no one does it. Because the downside risk is great. So we try not to think about that.

Tom needed help. We said yes.

The vet care proved true. Since he’d never seen a vet before, he needed all his vaccinations and boosters. He also needed to be neutered, treated for fleas, microchipped and dewormed.

Thankfully one vet did the vaccinations, and another one dropped everything to get him neutered, chipped and brought back to good health.

That first call, on the sunny Sunday afternoon? The call that was more than a month ago?

Everything changes tomorrow.

Because Tom goes home.

Home to his Mom who is still hurting and healing, but desperately missing her boy. She said he’s all she has. I believe her. Thankfully he’s going home with a clean bill of health.

For the past month he’s been under the loving care of a wonderful Portland group who loves cats. They’ve patiently and lovingly kept him safe and well fed, even after he refused to eat anything the first few days. This guy, he was scared out of his mind.

Everything he knew, was suddenly gone. But so many rallied to be there for him. And tomorrow, he’s going to explode with happiness.

Here’s the thing.

When we got the emergency call, we dropped everything and got to the hospital. We got the cat, we got him safe. But The Pongo Fund could not have done any of it without the Kitty Wrangler or this other group who found a way to welcome one more cat into their already crowded home.

Who were they? They asked me to not say. So if you know, please don’t post their name. But they will both be receiving donations from me, with gratitude.

Because what they did for this cat, is not what they do. And they don’t want a lot of other calls to do the same thing. But this time, they did it. And I am forever grateful.

Just one more reminder that I get to spend my day working with a lot of great people.

The veterinary care we paid for was about $350. A bargain under the circumstances. If you’d like to help Tom, please click here: https://bit.ly/37joA5S.

I’ve been wanting to share it for several weeks but held off because there were a lot of things that didn’t go according to plan. And I’ve had a few sleepless nights because of it. Because moments like these are not part of the work I ever dreamed The Pongo Fund would be doing.

And yet, here we are.

And Tom goes home tomorrow.

Best of all, his Momma is going to burst. Bet she doesn’t even sleep tonight.

I’ll tell you more about this story in the next few days. Again, I’ve struggled with the details. I was with her in the hospital. I’ve talked with her many times. Last time we spoke, when she knew he was coming home, she said she was Blessed.

Despite all she doesn’t have, she still said she was Blessed. Think about that. Blessed. Because she has Tom.

And according to her, she doesn’t care about anything else.

If she has to sleep on the street again, she will. If she has to go hungry herself to keep him fed, she will. Anything. That’s what she’ll do for him. Anything at all.

She has Tom. He’s healthy. He’s going home tomorrow. And more than anything else, she feels Blessed.

Just wait until tomorrow. Because she’ll be feeling even more Blessed then.

Tom’s going home.

And this is why we Pongo.

Two more things. Tom isn’t his real name. But for privacy that’s the name we’ll use. And if you’d like to donate for his continuing veterinary care that The Pongo Fund will be providing, please click here: https://bit.ly/37joA5S.

Thank you for letting me tell you about this cat and this woman. With little else, they have love.

I love them too.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

#thepongofund #petfoodbank #freeveterinarycare #emergency #Portland #Oregon #love #dogs #cats #helper #hunger #hope #joy #food #nonprofit #community #seniors #veterans #homeless #because #begentle #bekind #grateful #blessings #memories #tom #mississippi

January 1, 2022. These are my words, they are the words I write every year, and I am honored to write them. Although they sometimes appear other places, rewritten by someone else, they are still my words. They come from within me, from me, to you. And they have been my heartfelt words since the first time I wrote them, many years ago.

My name is Larry Chusid and I am the founder and director of The Pongo Fund, Oregon’s Pet Food Bank. Because hungry people have hungry pets. Pongo was my dog. I work for the day when no animal knows pain or hunger because their family cannot afford food or veterinary care. And I dedicate myself to this work to prevent the hunger, suffering, abandonment, surrender and loss of the animals I love.

Since our first day in 2009, The Pongo Fund has helped more than 191,000 hungry and hurting animals and provided more than 25 million meals throughout Oregon, Washington and beyond. Keeping each one of those animals safe at home and out of the shelters. Because it is the right thing to do.

We do it by providing two of the most critical needs in animal welfare, high quality pet food and lifesaving veterinary care, and we provide it free of charge, consistently and without fail, keeping tens of thousands of animals safe and healthy.

We help the animals of proud seniors, brave Veterans, the victimized, the marginalized, the unemployed, the disabled, the mentally ill, the hungry, the hurting, the homeless, and good people facing the toughest of times. That’s what The Pongo Fund does. Tens of thousands of animals are here today because we were there for them when they needed us most.

Because sometimes we all can use a little extra help.

The work I do is deeply important to me. And in order to love me as a friend or even like me as a person you must understand that animals are the best part of my life. And that my heart is broken time and time again for animals not treated with compassion and respect.

For those who do not know kind words and gentle hands.

For those who are abused, who suffer, who live in fear.

For those who recoil at the hand reaching out to pet them, for fear it will hurt them.

At my core I believe that every animal deserves good food, clean water, proper shelter, humane care and a safe and stable environment. Not just occasionally, but always. And I believe that Gandhi was right when he said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Today is the first day of 2022. A new beginning. A new chapter. A new day filled with all of the things that we can do, that we should do, that we must do, to make life better for the animals. And I invite you to please join me in doing these things.

For animals everywhere, may each one of them live safely and well. Without fear. Without harm. Without suffering. I wish for them to know the same love and respect from us that we know from them. And every wish that I wish for the animals, I wish for you too.

On an even more personal note, and I mean this from my heart, I am so deeply grateful to you, to all of you, for getting up, for standing up, for fighting against abuse and neglect and cruelty. For fighting the fight that sometimes seems like a lonely one. But in time, it is a fight we will win.

My name is Larry Chusid and I am proud that the animals are my friends. They make my life better. And may they always enjoy Peace, Love and Kibble.

Wishing you a Happy New Year from all of us at The Pongo Fund.

–Larry Chusid, The Pongo Fund, Portland, Oregon, USA.

One more thing. We have a newsletter, and while we’ve only sent it a few times in 12 years, it’s still a newsletter. It’s not fancy by any means. In fact, it’s primarily run-on sentences lacking proper punctuation. But we would very much like to keep you in the loop as to the good work you help us do, so to receive the next one in your inbox, please click here: https://bit.ly/3Jysvjl.

• To read the 12/28/21 newsletter, please click here: https://bit.ly/3HgIRew
• To read the 12/30/21 newsletter, please click here: https://bit.ly/3sX6t3I
• To read the 12/31/21 newsletter, please click here: https://bit.ly/3qG5HFF

And if you don’t like it, it’s only one quick click to unsubscribe. It won’t hurt my feelings a bit. Because I am here for the Animals.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

The Pongo Fund / PO Box 9000 / Portland, OR 97207 / thepongofund.org

(Photo of Larry & Scooby, The 1,000 year-old Beagle Buddha. Photo Credit: Pauline Zonneveld)

Every name has a story. These were some of ours.

A Dog named Cat and a Cat named Mouse and one lucky goat named Turtle. Just a few of the animals The Pongo Fund helped this year.

A bunch of Franks and Petes and Peters, but the Peters were different than the Petes. Plenty named George but still never enough. Because George.

Betty, Betty Boo, Betty Boop, Betty Lou. Belle. Bella. Bea. Sally, Camilla, Brandy, Whiskey.

So many Flowers. And flower friends, like Tulip. Rose. Sage. Rosemary. Daisy. Poppy. Buttercup. Lilly. Lily. Lillie.

Ricky. Lucy. Charlie. Snoopy. Fred. Ginger. Linus. Astro. Dino. SpongeBob but really just Bob.

Baby. Binx. Binky. Blue. Blu. Bluebell. Velvet. Winnie. Tigger. Tiger. Jade.

Mort.

A dog that was named Killer and treated terribly. And now she’s got a new Mom who named her Cupcake and she lives like royalty.

There was a lot of other royalty too. Kings and Queens. Queenie. Prince and Princess a plenty, and Duke and Duchess too.

Even a Jester. And a Chester. An Esther. A Sylvester. And Professor and Poindexter.

A lot of Jacks. And a couple Jax. Ocean. Vega. Luca. Lucia. Lamont. LuLu.

Taco. Poncho. Tucson. Aspen. Shasta. Hood. Dallas. Kansas. Boston. Flip.

Bella. Chloe. Cherry. Jerry. Murdock. Seahawk. Delilah. Luna. Aurora. Dawn. Fern. And Fawn.

Some Scoobys and Lolas too. L-O-L-A, Lola, La-la-la-la Lola

We helped them all, A – Z, Apple to Zeus. Each one with a common thread.

Each one of them, was the best. Absolutely perfect in every way.

The ones who could not stop cuddling. The ones still learning to not pull away from cuddles. Some so small they could live inside your shirt. Others so big they couldn’t even fit on the bed. But they try.

And the man who raised an orphan calf who slept on his bed. You sir, are my hero. Thank you. Though he said, he was the lucky one. That too.

The dog with one eye. The cat with none. A dog who shimmied when he walked but didn’t care. A cat who sometimes dragged her back legs but simply made it look like she was dancing. Still perfect, all of them.

Plus, that cat could climb every piece of furniture in the house and she jumped like Michael Jordan.

Dogs missing pieces. Ears. Eyes. Tails. Teeth. Legs. Cats missing them too. And a lot of whiskers nowhere to be found. But what tales they must have to share.

Some three leggers but mostly four. Sometimes almost six when you count the Polydactyl cats, but not really six.

And then there were the people. How hard they worked for their animals when times were tough. And how much harder they worked, when times were even tougher. So many went without, so their animals did not. We helped them too. Quietly. Don’t tell anyone. That’s our secret.

Because we know, if anything happens to those people, then their animals have no one left. And that’s not good. So being a helper. We like that.

The woman afraid to talk because she had no teeth. We made a call. We helped her get some. The man who could not listen well for the want of hearing aid batteries. He got them. And for the many who thought life was passing them by, they got readers. I did too. They are inexpensive buy, but worth so much more. And for about $3 a pair, we make sure everyone has them.

And we do it because we need people to be able to read the fine print on their dog food bag and know when to dispense their cat’s medication. Laugh as you might over $3 for a pair of readers, but they’re the same ones I wear.

For everyone we helped, let this be a reminder that life is good. Even when so much of our time is spent helping those, for whom it is not. That’s the hard part. How do we help them all? Don’t know the answer to that one.

But we do know this. The clock will soon strike midnight and we will begin again, in a New Year. Doing the work anew, that we’ve been doing for the past dozen. Because at our core, we are helpers.

I hope you’ll be here with us. Because everything we do, we do together.

Being a helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

One last thing, and it’s the thing I hate to say, but I must. Until midnight tonight, ALL DONATIONS WILL BE TRIPLE MATCHED. That means whatever gets donated, will be tripled thanks to some kind and generous folks who like the work we do. Just like you do. So there it is. And if you feel like making another donation before midnight, I hope you will please consider The Pongo Fund. Details are below.

There are three ways to donate, so please take your pick:

You can donate on our website here: https://bit.ly/37joA5S

You can donate on our Give Guide page here: https://giveguide.org/nonprofits/the-pongo-fund%20

You can also mail a check to us here: The Pongo Fund, PO Box 9000, Portland, OR 97207.

Every dollar. Every donation. TRIPLED!

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

The Pongo Fund / PO Box 9000 / Portland, OR 97207
We are a volunteer driven 501c3 non-profit public charity.
www.thepongofund.org / Tax ID 27-0646992

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
–Anatole France.

One hundred years from now it will not matter. But yesterday it did.

11:31am. Email arrived, an 18-year-old dog with a bleeding tumor, can’t stop the bleeding. Our triage team replied. We’ve got photos of the tumor but not going to share. No need for that. It’s punctured. It’s bleeding. It hurts. It’s infected. It’s not good. We’ll leave it there.

She’s 18 years old but her and her Dad have only been together a couple weeks. Her family needed to give her up, this man said yes. We don’t know all the details. But the bleeding tumor, we know that detail. And right now, that’s what matters. We respond with urgency.

11:39am, just 8 minutes later, we’re on the phone to this man. He had no money for emergency vet care. But he didn’t tell us he also had no car or bus fare. With fury as his guide, he made it.

3:58pm, it took him four hours, the snow and ice unforgiving, but he got there. His girl was in good hands, getting treated for the ulcerated mass. Inspect the tumor. Clean the wound. Stop the bleeding. Inspect the tumor again. Antibiotics to quell the infection. Pain medication to lessen the pain. Bloodwork to tell us how things are should we need surgery.

They went home. She was feeling better. He was feeling numb.

“It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.” — Joaquin Phoenix

This man who worked so hard to get his new old dog to the vet deserves a lot of credit. He survives on about $700 per month. That’s rent, utilities, food, and now vet care. But he stepped in when no one else would. He’d already had Molly to the vet last week for treatment and medication and paid for that himself, but now, this bleeding tumor needed urgent care and his next check was still several days away.

Thankfully he found The Pongo Fund.

He got to the vet. The vet dropped everything to do the work that needed to be done. None of us know what will happen next. This sweet girl is 18. She has a mass on her abdomen. But she is loved. And in these moments, there you are, to help us, help them.

It could not be more perfect than that.

There’s not a lot more to this message. Just another chance for me to say thank you. I say this over and over again, and will keep saying it. Without you, there’s no us. Simple as that.

The Pongo Fund is not a machine. When you call us, when you email us, the people on the other end are not just reading and listening to your words. We are feeling them too. And that’s not always easy to do. Because a lot of the words shared with us, are words that hurt. Because life hurts.

But in those moments we need to put that hurt aside, because connected to each word is also a dog or cat or horse who hurts. A person who hurts alongside too. So we accept, that we will hurt together. We fight hunger. We fight hurt. We do what we can to make things better. We are grateful for that.

And we are grateful for you.

Please also know this. For the next two days, any donation to The Pongo Fund will be TRIPLE MATCHED thanks to some generous donors who care about us and the work we do. If you are thinking about a year end donation, please consider The Pongo Fund.

Not only will your donation be TRIPLED, but sweet friends like 18-year-old Molly will thank you too. Because without you, she doesn’t have a chance.

There are three ways to donate, so please take your pick:

You can donate on our website here: https://bit.ly/37joA5S

You can donate on our Give Guide page here: https://giveguide.org/nonprofits/the-pongo-fund%20

You can also mail a check to us here: The Pongo Fund, PO Box 9000, Portland, OR 97207.

Every dollar. Every donation. TRIPLED!

For Molly.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

“One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much I had in the bank nor what my clothes looked like, but the world will be different because I was important in the life of the animals and the creatures on this earth.” ― Unknown

#thepongofund #petfoodbank #freeveterinarycare #emergency #Portland #Oregon #love #dogs #cats #helper #hunger #hope #joy #food #nonprofit #community #seniors #veterans #homeless #because #Thanksgiving #Christmas #begentle #bekind #grateful #Molly

Sometimes we never see it coming. Even when we think we do. At least, not this time. She lives on the Oregon coast, a salt-of-the-earth disabled woman in a leaky trailer. Small monthly social security check is all she has. She gleans, she scavenges, she does everything she can but what she does most of all is love her cat.

When COVID hit The Pongo Fund responded in force, doubling our pet food bank distribution sites to 100. Some of them were inside large local food pantries, other times more creatively placed on small community tables. Take something, leave something, those kind of community tables.

Because for a lot of people, COVID was more than a pandemic. It pushed a lot of folks over the edge, needing help for the first time. But not everyone is comfortable asking for help or going to a food pantry. But a community table? Much easier. Kind of like sidewalk shopping. Walk by, browse a bit, find what you need. We like that. Because meeting people where they are, when they are, that’s at the core of everything we do.

Because if we don’t do that, then animals go hungry. People too. Like her. Like her cat.

She’d been feeding the same cat food for years. It was the only food she could afford. Her cat ate it, so she thought everything was good. Then she ran out of food. And money. Someone told her about the community table we had set up nearby and she went there, thanks to a ride from a friend because no car of her own. She got enough cat food to last a few months, careful to make sure there was still plenty for everyone else. And there was. But with limited transportation she needed to make sure she got all she could, since she might not be able to get back again.

The food she got wasn’t what she was used to feeding. Not even close. She didn’t know anything about it except it said cat food. But we knew about it. And we knew it was some of the highest quality cat food made. Because The Pongo Fund uses only high quality foods. Because it’s important to us, because it’s important for the animals.

She called us a few days ago. Out of the blue, just another call. Or so we thought. Her call was to say thank you. That’s how we learned about her and her cat. But there was a lot more to the call. And that’s the part we never saw coming. Her voice soft, rickety. But also calm, kind. She told me everything I’ve already written above. Then a pause, and then a question.

Could I tell her where she could buy more of that cat food?

She said after feeding the same cat food for years, she thought that her cat liked it. He’d nibble at it, walking away two or three times before coming back to nibble some more. But he rarely finished, and she just assumed he wasn’t hungry.

But she said what happened next wasn’t supposed to happen.

Because everything changed when she fed The Pongo Fund food. The Nulo Pet Food generously donated by #Nulo. She said she put the same amount into his bowl and she walked away, like she always does. She’d go back to check on him a few minutes later and that was their routine. But this time when she went back to check on him, the entire bowl was empty. She said it looked like there had never been any food in it, like it was already washed.

Said her first thought was there were some other cats who had gotten into the trailer and eaten the food. It didn’t make any sense. He just sat there, looking at the empty bowl. And he would not move. She said she asked him if he was still hungry. But she never asked him if he was still hungry because there was always food left in the bowl. She said she was truly confused. So she put a few more kibble into his bowl and all of the sudden she understood what had happened.

Because he hoovered them up.

She said she felt happy and sad at the same time. Happy because she had found a food that he loved. Sad that for all those years she’d been feeding him a food he didn’t love. Even worse, it was the only food she could afford. So that very minute she decided she would begin saving money for the next bag of cat food, and this time, it would be the Nulo. And that’s when she called.

She wanted to know where to buy the Nulo cat food. In person, not online. Because she had no online. A place she could go, pay cash at the register, and then go home. Even better if she could walk there. And she was happy to tell me she had saved $10 for the purchase.

When she said $10, she could have said $1,000, because it was the same thing. Because having saved $10 was almost a miracle in her world. And she wanted to know where to take her $10 to buy another bag of Nulo.

I’ve talked with thousands of people about pet food over the years. Most of the calls are the same. But not all of them. And this was one of those.

Because what she didn’t know was that the bags of cat food she’d gotten from the community table were going to cost a lot more than $10. But I couldn’t tell her that because it would take her right back to being the woman who always needed to buy the cheapest food. The cat food she now knew her cat didn’t really like.

And I wasn’t going to let that happen.

So we worked out a deal, me and this woman. Asked her to please hang onto her $10, and we just happened to have some more of that food that we would get to her. But she wasn’t that easily fooled. She said if we do that, who does she pay? And that was a problem, because the goal was to get her the food but not take her money. So we talked some more.

We knew someone who loves day trips and that person jumped at the chance to be part of our Emergency Kibble Response Team — EKRT. She’d been on our volunteer wait list for a long time, just waiting for the chance to help. I think she might have been the most excited of all of us, when she got the call.

She asked for the game plan. Because she knew it wasn’t going to be as simple as just dropping off a bag of cat food. Not for The Pongo Fund, anyway. So we bundled together several bags of food, Enough food to last quite some time, so this woman didn’t need to worry about running out of food every month. And it would give our EKRT driver a chance to restock some community tables.

As for the game plan part, I asked if she would please take a look around and let me know how bad the situation was? The leaky trailer for example, was it one leak, or the entire trailer that leaked.

Later that day she told me what she found. The situation wasn’t a good one. Many leaks, many challenges. But she knew people in the area, and said she knew how to fix leaks. Tarps, tape. Stop the leaks now. Do more later. My kind of plan.

I waited for more from her, more details about what she saw and how it made her feel. Because sometimes being part of our Emergency Kibble Response Team is a heavy load, because it sometimes puts us face to face with things we wish we’d never seen.

I asked her the best part of the day, thinking she’d say that it felt good to be a helper. But she didn’t say that.

She said the best part of the day were the cookies the woman sent her home with.

Because sometimes we never see it coming.

If you’d like to help us keep out pet food bank stocked for the holidays, please click here: https://bit.ly/37joA5S. All donations are being doubled thanks to a generous donor.

Being a helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

#thepongofund #petfoodbank #freeveterinarycare #emergency #Portland #Oregon #love #dogs #cats #helper #hunger #hope #joy #food #nonprofit #community #seniors #veterans #homeless #because #Thanksgiving #Christmas #grateful #thankful #COVID #nulo #emergencykibbleresponseteam #savinglives

He was near the corner of a busy intersection. From across the street I watched him carefully set up dinner service for his two dogs, both of them senior Chihuahuas. First he poured clean water into bowls, then each one got a treat, then some pets, then dinner. That’s when I walked over to say hi. He’s been homeless a few days, is sleeping in someone’s backyard for now. I asked him what he needed, he said dog food. He was very specific about ingredients; he had no idea how much that meant to me. There was a pet supply store nearby, I went there and bought the food. I then asked him the same question again, what he needed, and he said he was fine. He stood there watching the dogs, he was at peace. And the dogs, they could not have been happier. I asked him what he was going to eat for dinner, and again, he said he was fine. I changed it around a bit, and this time I asked him what sounded good for dinner? He described chicken that they had at a nearby store. I asked him what was special about that chicken, and he said they could all eat it together. I’m a vegan. I didn’t tell him that. I gave him $20 for dinner and wished him a good night. This man, he was extremely soft spoken, embarrassed about their situation. He felt he’d let the dogs down. The man had no food, the dogs had plenty. The man had not bathed, the dogs were clean and happy. The man had no coat, the dogs had sweaters. And still, he felt he’d let them down. These moments break my heart. #portlandhomeless

It was ten years ago today, The Pongo Fund opened our doors for the first time, November 9, 2009. What began in the back of a Chevy Trailblazer has blossomed into one of Oregon’s most vital animal welfare groups. And since that day we’ve provided more than 15 million high-quality meals and a whole lot of lifesaving veterinary care, all of it for free, helping 155,000 beloved family pets stay safe at home and out of the shelters. We do it by combining two of the most critical needs in animal welfare, food and medical, and doing work like it’s never been done before.

Food and medical, those are the top two reasons nationally that animals are surrendered to shelters. Flat out, because sometimes people can’t afford to care for the animals they have. Could be any one of us. Could be any number of reasons. But hungry people have hungry pets. And that’s the problem we solve. Ten years later, our award-winning and volunteer driven group continues to provide our services free of charge; consistently and without fail. Keeping animals safe in their homes and out of the shelters, that’s what we do.

Because while adoption is good, not needing to be adopted is even better. And we’re the only group doing it this way.

Thanks to you, during this past year we were a lifesaving resource for more than 100 different social service and other groups, including humane societies, food banks, Veterans resource centers, homeless shelters, senior centers, hospital emergency rooms, domestic violence shelters, school backpack buddy programs and more. In fact, on any given day The Pongo Fund has high-quality pet food in more than 50 different satellite locations throughout Oregon and SW Washington, and our six core programs reach countless people and pets when they need us most.

Thanks to you, The Pongo Fund helps the animals of proud seniors, brave Veterans, the victimized, the marginalized, the unemployed, the disabled, the mentally ill, the hungry, the hurting, the homeless, and good people facing the toughest of times.

That’s what The Pongo Fund does, thanks to programs including our Pet Food Bank, Emergency Kibble Response Team, Mobile Veterinary Hospital, Meals On Wheels, Honored Veterans Program, Emergency Veterinary Care Fund and more

Because sometimes we all can use a little extra help.

We are one group of many groups working to make a difference. But what we do and the way we do it is different than the rest. And we’re proud of that. Because we don’t need another group doing what 10 other groups are already doing. This is a time for risk taking and innovation and running into the challenge, not away from it.

Bottom line is that what we’re doing is working, and the 155,000 animals we’ve helped will be the first to agree.That’s because The Pongo Fund was there for them when they needed us most.

Because each one of you made that possible.

The Pongo Fund is powered by a dedicated volunteer Dream Team, many of whom have been with us since the beginning ten years ago; directors, advisors, veterinarians, kibble packers, community advocates and so many more. Fueled forward by a group of generous and loving donors who keep our shelves stocked. Made proud by millions of kind words that come from each and every one of you. The reality is simple. Without you, there is no us. Because we’re all in this together.

And that’s why I thank you with the biggest thank you possible. Because everything we do, we do together. Helping others like no one else does. Two and four-legged alike. Giving a chance to animals that might not otherwise have a chance and giving hope to people who have little else to be hopeful for.

We are also a solid reminder that you don’t need to be a big group with a big budget to make a big difference. We’re still the same volunteer driven group we were when we started. Small but mighty, and proud of it.

We are proud to do what we do, and we are proud to make the difference we make. But there is still so much more to do, so many more people and pets who need our help.

Which is why we will continue to push forward, working harder and smarter every chance we can, to accomplish things in a way they have never been done before. Because the old school business of animal welfare is no longer the answer.

This past year we came within 72 hours of making our biggest announcement ever. Words that would have echoed near and far for the historic change they would have brought. A few of you knew what was coming. You attended our kibble talks. You listened, we listened. Together we had a dream. And we were that close.

But things beyond our control got in the way. Yet every day since we have worked to perfect that plan, and we continue to push forward to make it happen. Maybe next year will be the year.

I’ve written too much already, and I didn’t even tell you about some of the work we did, about some of the lives we saved, about the people and pets we helped. I didn’t tell you that we won an award, the Shining World Compassion Award, and that brought us a $25,000 prize. It came at a perfect time because our shelves were close to empty after the federal government asked us to step in and help 10,000 furloughed federal workers, including Coast Guard, TSA, Customs and more. I didn’t tell you about the letter we received from the US Department of Homeland Security, telling us the level of support we provided was unprecedented.

It felt good to be of service. You helped make that possible.

I didn’t tell you about the hundreds of calls and letters and emails we received, telling us how many lives we saved. Human lives saved, by saving animal lives. Because for some people, without their pets, they would not be here.

And when a suicide crisis counselor calls to say thank you, then you know you’ve done something special.

But for all I didn’t tell you, I will tell you this. We remain heartbroken over the loss of our dear friend Howard Hedinger. He left us almost nine months ago today, and despite our continuing to drive forward and accomplish at the highest levels, it’s never been the same. Howard left a big hole, and I don’t mind telling you, it still hurts.

It hurts right now because I would have celebrated these words with Howard. I would have shared them with him before I shared them with you. And he would have read these words with tears in his eyes, because he cares that much. Cares as if he’s still here, because for me, he still is.

In honor of 10 years and in memory of Howard, one of our donors has generously presented us with a $10,000 matching gift. Meaning the next $10,000 raised will be TRIPLED.

Now it’s up to you, the very people who do so much for us already. But if you’d like to do a little bit more, to celebrate 10 Pongo years, to celebrate and remember Howard Hedinger, please join us as we work hard to raise the $10,000 to receive the match.

We have three ways to help. Please donate via our Give Guide fundraiser here, https://giveguide.org/#thepongofund%20, or via our website https://bit.ly/2oUZeYh. Or please mail a check to us at The Pongo Fund, PO Box 9000, Portland, OR 97207. As always, please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions you have and I’ll do my best to answer them.

I’ve rambled through a lot of words here, about 1,500 by the time you get to the end. And what I hope you take away, is that these words are a celebration. Because ten years ago I remember the people who told me we’d never be able to do what I said we would do. They told me we’d never make it. They told me I was a fool. Literally, a fool.

And here we are, 10 years later, with 155,000 animals alive today. All because I was a fool.

I like that.

And it’s all thanks to you.

My name is Larry Chusid, and I am deeply honored to lead this group that is making a difference in ways few thought possible. For the pets, and for the people who love them.

Saving lives since 2009.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org