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December 25, 2022

Sort of a Christmas Story. But not the kind you’d expect. There were no Wise Men. But we met our version of George Bailey. In this case, a man who cared deeply, and his dog who loved belly rubs.

There was an arctic sleeping bag, some wool socks, a heavy duty hat, some heavy duty gloves. A new winter dog coat, a sleeping cave, some ice booties. Just part of the hundreds of sleeping bags, hats, gloves and socks The Pongo Fund gave out to help those with the least, survive the brutal winter cold.

He was cozy in his tent with tarps for doors. Coming outside, that was the problem. Because outside was cold. He opened the tarps and we met him halfway. On our hands and knees, with his kissing machine pit bull on her back demanding belly rubs. That was the toll. If you entered the tent, you needed to pay in belly rubs. It was worth it.

He wasn’t expecting us. He lived alone, just him and Baby Girl. He was maybe 50. And Baby Girl no longer a baby, but a sweet senior.

He was thankful, he said. But he was antsy. It was awkward. We did the gifting, we exchanged gratitudes. Baby Girl got far too many belly rubs and each time we tried to stop she’d pull our hands back to her belly. She clearly knew what she was doing, she was a belly rub pro.

We had food and treats too, for both of them. For him, enough food to keep him well fed for a few days. Based on the weather, that food and the other supplies would keep him safe. But it was the fidgeting, his jumbling around, that we couldn’t understand.

Was he uncomfortable receiving these items? Because sometimes that’s the case. That those the most deserving, are also the most uncomfortable receiving.

He kept saying thank you, thank you, but that he needed to go, and after just a very short visit we were back on the sidewalk. One step behind us, he was there too. Holding the sleeping bag.

This was a really good sleeping bag, built to withstand the coldest temps. Super lightweight in terms of pounds but super heavyweight in terms of warmth. He needed it and he deserved it.

And yet, he held it in his hands as if he was going to give it back. So we asked him if it was the wrong kind of sleeping bag. If it was, we could get him something else.

He said it was great. He said anyone using it would be lucky.

But…

But on the next block was an older man whose life had fallen apart a few weeks earlier, and he was not prepared for this deadly winter weather. This sleeping bag would keep him from freezing so he wanted to get to that man fast as he could, to give him the sleeping bag.

We had a quick back and forth in conversation. But overall it was uncomfortable because in his mind he was already walking down the street to give this man the sleeping bag, and yet, the people who had just given it to him, were somehow standing in the way of his being able to do that.

He wanted to go, yet he didn’t want to offend us. It was an unusual moment.

We said he didn’t need to give the bag away. Not those exact words, but that’s what he heard. We didn’t get to finish the sentence. But he was crushed. He tried to give it back to us, he said if he could not give it to the man on the next block, then he didn’t want to use it either.

None of us walk in anyone else’s shoes. Nor do we sleep in their sleeping bags. But we all carry a good amount of our own pain and frustration, and for him, in that moment, his pain and frustration was that he deeply wanted to give to someone else, something that he desperately needed. To someone else, who he felt needed it more.

It had nothing to do with sleeping bags or hats or gloves or socks.

It had to do with kindness. Just pure and simple kindness.

It’s within all of us. And for him, living on the street with mostly nothing, he still knew someone else with less. He said he could cuddle with Baby Girl, but the other man did not have a dog. He didn’t want to keep explaining it to us, he just wanted to take him the sleeping bag or give it back.

This had gone sideways fast. Not the first time a moment like this had come up, life is life and sometimes it doesn’t go according to plan. Please keep in mind, all of this conversation outside his tent had taken just a couple minutes. It was very brief. But in that time we’d somehow become polar opposites.

We needed to slow the conversation down for this man who was deeply frustrated. Frustration based on the only thing he knew, that every second forward was one more second that someone else was cold and he wanted to fix that.

What he didn’t know is that we’d already been to that man’s tent. And that he had also received the same sleeping bag, socks, hat and gloves. In that moment, the man who wanted to give away the sleeping bag almost crumbled to the pavement, when he learned his new friend had already received the same gifts.

This man who loved others so much that he would give everything to help them, now got to exhale when it hit him, that what he had, his friend had too.

We knew he would still struggle with that part, because this was a man who would likely be the first to do anything for anyone. So we told him that everyone on his street had gotten the same items. Everyone would be warm, just like he was going to be.

That everyone had also gotten food and laundry quarters and soap and a washcloth and toothbrush and toothpaste and other basics too. There were flashlights, batteries, headlamps, all sorts of things.

He apologized to us, said he didn’t mean to be a problem. That’s what he thought he was. A problem. But he wasn’t a problem. He was simply a human being who cared deeply about others. He said it was how he was raised. They didn’t have much but what they had they shared.

Baby Girl was warm and fluffy in her coat, happy as could be with her sleeping cave, toys, treats. She was content. And she also knew how to calm her person, which she did with a quick nudge to his knee to get his attention. Then going back inside the tent, stopping briefly to make sure he was following.

The Spirit of the Season. We hear the words all the time. But seeing them in front of you is quite different.

The Pongo Fund helps many, both two-legged and four.

Sometimes that help is quick and easy. Sometimes it takes a few extra minutes. But whatever amount of time it takes, it’s worth it. Because we all need to be helpers. And because everything we do, we do together.

Sometimes it leaves us torn to the core. But there’s another tent still to visit, so we need to go. We’ll cry later.

For each one of you who joins with us to do this work of blessings, we thank you. Because we could not do it without you. We thank you with words, and we thank you with tears.

But most of all, we thank you with love.

Being a helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

The Pongo Fund, Portland, OR.

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Tom

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

 

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January 1, 2022

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.

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)

 

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Every Name Has A Story

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.

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One Hundred Years From Now

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

 

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My Birthday Wish

Today is my birthday. And my birthday gift to me is taking this moment to say thank you to you. To each and every one of you. Thank you for caring about the animals. Thank you for loving the animals. Thank you for being the voice for the animals. For they too deserve to be heard.

My birthday wish is to see the end of animal abuse. End it forever. Finished. Kaput. Done. To stop any and all animal suffering. To end the agony that these majestic friends far too frequently endure when people choose to do bad things. Or simply, when people do not take the time to understand.

May we someday find a way to educate those who bring harm so they can learn what they have done is wrong. So that someday, they too can celebrate and enjoy the unconditional love of an animal friend.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” — Mohandas Gandhi

For my birthday this is my wish. Because the animals deserve that wish. For each and every one of them. Whatever they are. Wherever they are. For they deserve better. Especially for those already gone at the hands of abuse. That have suffered. That have known pain.

May they rest in peace. Running on rainbows. Sleeping in clouds. May they know the smiles they brought. May they know they were loved. And that they will not be forgotten.

Please know that every wish I wish for the animals I wish for the people too. Adults and kids alike. Because we share this fine earth together. Even for those who bring harm and may not seemingly deserve that wish, I still wish it. Because that wish brings hope.

And with that wish, I hope today will bring a better day for all. For all animals. For all creatures. For all people. For all beings. For all living things great and small. That is my birthday wish.

“You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” — Mohandas Gandhi

On my birthday I thank every single person who fuels The Pongo Fund forward. Getting up and showing up time and time and time again to make a difference for those less fortunate. There are far too many names to mention here, but please know you are important and appreciated and loved. And at our core, you are the heart and soul of The Pongo Fund. Because everything we do, we do together.

You give with heart and you give with joy and you are the core group of dedicated souls who have defied the odds and proven that impossible is possible. And I thank you.

“Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” ~ Muhammad Ali

On my birthday I thank 21 year-old Pongo for being who he was. The grand spirit of life who knew it was all about love, kindness and joy. And great food. He lived large and he lived long and against impossible odds he thrived, outliving his years many times over. Always with zest and gusto and love. He blessed my life for many years. But the 19 years we had together were still not enough. And I miss him.

And I thank Scooby, my 22 year-old beagle buddy, for the love and friendship he brought that went beyond anything I could have ever dreamed. The love and friendship that he still brings today. Because he’s here. Not the way you think. But he is, and I know you understand. He is my compass. My guide. No matter where he sleeps at night he still is all that he was and will continue to be. My Dalai Lama. My Gandhi. My Buddha.

He has lived long enough to know what’s important and what’s not. He is an inspiration. His soul is pure. His heart is full. And I am lucky to have him as a mentor.

And I thank Lola, for her love and patience in teaching me Lola’s Way. Especially for the birthday kisses she greeted with this morning at 4am when she decided it was time to get up. The moon was full, the air warm. Lola knew that and wanted to make sure I knew it too. So we danced under the morning sky and said blessings on this first day of Spring.

“If the only prayer you say in life is thank you, that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart

With complete gratitude to each one of you, I have the honor and privilege of doing the work that many only dream of. I am truly blessed. And with you as the wind, together we have provided more than 21 million meals and saved the lives of more than 175,000 beloved animals, keeping them safe and healthy and out of the shelters. We have fed them with great food, we have healed them with lifesaving medical care. And each time we have helped the animals, we have helped their people too. Because that’s how it works. Because we are all connected.

This isn’t about us or them; this is about doing what’s right. And if by helping one we are able to help all, then by all means, that is what we shall do.

“Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

For my next year and each one of the many thereafter, my wish for myself is that I will ring more bells. That I will be more understanding. More compassionate. More patient. More forgiving. And that I will always err on the side of kindness.

If nothing else I hope that I will bring the same kind of love and kindness that our animal friends bring. Because if I can do that, I will have done well.

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, I can do or any kindness that I can show… let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.” — Stephen Grillet

And one more thing. You are loved!

~ Larry Chusid, The Pongo Fund, March 20, 2021.

PS: I’ve learned over the years that many people have taken my words and reposted them as their own. But they are not. I do appreciate the compliment, but would also appreciate others including my name and The Pongo Fund in the posting. Because the words mean far less without the heart behind them. Thank you.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

 

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Hallelujah Montelujah

It was four years ago today. Still seems like yesterday. I see his face on my screensaver, we feel his spirit in every cat The Pongo Fund helps.

The band was ready and today Sir Monte joined them. Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Merle Haggard, George Michael and of course, Mr. Leonard Cohen, greeted him with his very own Monte rendition of Montelujah. With a backup chorus of Angels too many to name, they wrapped this Sweet Babu in loving arms and welcomed him across the Rainbow Bridge and then they sang it again. Leonard said he’d never done it with Montelujah before. I heard the song, it was beautiful. Even Leonard smiled.

Now, I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Montelujah…

Our dear friend Sir Monte aka Monte Babu aka The Sdrabu aka Little Montecito aka Asdrubalo; he is now somewhere beautiful, peaceful, running pain free.

In Loving Memory of Monte.

Always Loved. Always Remembered.

Baci to you always, my Angel friend.

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 #Monte #grateful #thankful 

 

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January 1, 2021

January 1, 2021. My name is Larry Chusid. I am the founder and executive 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 165,000 hungry and hurting animals and provided more than 18 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 2021. 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 five times in 11 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: http://bit.ly/2CVq34E.

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.

(Photo of Larry & Scooby, The 1,000 year-old Beagle Buddha. Photo Credit: Pauline Zonneveld)
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Sometimes We Never See It Coming

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

 

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The Intersection

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

I’ll be returning to see them again soon with all the winter gear they need.

Welcome to my world.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

#thepongofund #petfoodbank #veterinarycare #love #Chihuahua #dog