Forsyth Humane Society has an incredible pet food pantry that supports the needs of those in our community who find themselves faced with the harsh question of, ‘will I have to surrender my pet if I cannot afford to feed it?’. Unfortunately, we hear this a lot. Perhaps is someone who has lost their job, who has experienced health issues and can no longer work, the situations are abundant and we don’t really ask questions, instead we show up and we support. Why? Because if we, through the help of pet food donations, can not only feed the pets in our care but also the pets in the community, that is one less pet that comes in our doors. That is one less pet that has to be surrendered due to unforeseen circumstances. That is one more person that can eat without giving their human food to their pet. We found through our partnership with Meals on Wheels that often people would feed their meals to their pets and go hungry themselves before letting their pet starve. We partnered with a local scout troop who comes to our pet food pantry, gets food and packages it for Meals on Wheels. The route runners know who has animals and in addition to providing food daily, they provide pet food when needed. Additionally, we have partners who pickup food from us and distribute all over Forsyth County to organizations as seen on the map below: All our Pet Food Pantry Partners support many elements of care in Forsyth County not just of pets but the people who love them. It’s how we practice the Wellness of Companionship, it’s how we lean into the heart of our organization, Compassion. As much as we love pets, we don’t want anymore coming into our shelter so a piece of our work is on keeping pets and families together and reducing the barriers that may be in place forcing peoples hands to surrender the pets that they love. If you or someone you know is in need of pet food, please connect with some of our partners to organize a time to pickup pet food. Written by Kristen Williams
The Wellness of Companionship
As we move into a month of gratitude and thanks, we can’t let the wellness of companionship pass us by here at Forsyth Humane Society. Day after day we strive to create conditions where everyone in our community can benefit from the wellness of companionship – What does that mean? What does that look like? Well, it varies. Let’s explore some of the examples of this celebration. The wellness of companionship is the joy of a pet that has come into the care of Forsyth Humane Society, either off the street or turned in by a good Samaritan, and that pet being reunited with their family members after a short period of time. The wellness of companionship is the furry sidekick that is adopted by a senior who comes into Forsyth Humane Society, looking for a pet to provide a little love and care during the varying stages of life as an older adult and becoming a lifelong companion. The wellness of companionship is the dog that is your loyal running partner. Who’s up with you at 5am when your friends said no, to keep you on the move as a way to support your own mental health. The wellness of companionship is the cat that snuggles in your lap and knocks your glasses off the side table after a long day of work but gives that TLC paired with the laugh that you just needed. The wellness of companionship can be found in the families that foster dogs and cats to keep them out of the shelter until they can get adopted. These foster families can share behavior tendencies and give great insight to prospective adopters to make sure it’s a good fit and help reduce the risk of the animal being returned. The wellness of companionship can be found in our community pet food pantry that provides pet food to underserved communities so that they don’t have to give up their pet just to make ends meet. They can still receive that love from a furry friend regardless of their financial situation. The wellness of companionship can be found in the increased awareness of the decrease in the number of people experiencing mental illness in our country thanks in part to having a pet by their side that can ease the stress and anxiety of everyday life for both person and pet. At Forsyth Humane Society, we work diligently across Forsyth County to build awareness and programs that reduce shelter intake and provide for the compassionate care of pets and the people who love them in our community. This is the wellness of companionship and we are here for it! Thank you for your continued support on this journey whether volunteering, fostering, donating or adopting from us. Because of you we are able to continue sharing the wellness of companionship and you are able to receive it! Written by Kristen Williams
