Pet Food Drive

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Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital collects 5,000 pounds of pet food for Connecticut Humane Society’s Pet Food Pantry, largest donation of the year for program serving those in need

By Paul Bisberg

A community pet-food drive organized by Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital on December 21 collected 5,000 pounds of dry food, more than 700 cans of cat and dog food and more than $600 in cash donations, an “amazing effort that will help so many people in need,” according to the Connecticut Humane Society, which will distribute the collected food.

“The community’s support was incredible, the generosity and holiday spirit was so touching and the results–well, let’s just say the results far exceeded our expectations,” said Dr. Anna Wolfe, one of the veterinarians at Granby’s Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital and the organizer of the drive. The collection benefited the Connecticut Humane Society’s Pet Food Pantry, which provides no-cost pet food to more than 200 families in need from throughout Greater Hartford each month.

Since this was the first time the hospital had organized a pet-food collection, “we were a little unsure of how much to expect,” Wolfe said. “But we are so grateful for the turnout and for how much the community helped us make a difference for so many families in need.”

The veterinary hospital and community “totally knocked it out of the ballpark,” Alicia Wright, public relations director for the Connecticut Humane Society, said about the collection results. “On behalf of the Connecticut Humane Society, an absolutely heartfelt Thank you to Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital, the staff and the community.

“It takes a community working together to make this sort of impact,” Wright said, noting that the average food drive to benefit the pantry raises less than 500 pounds. This donation will allow the program to accept more families as well as use the monetary donations to replenish its stockpile, she said.

In addition to organizing the event, Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital also matched the individual contributions, accounting for 2,000 pounds of the donation. The collection was also generously supported by contributions from Horses and Hounds, LLC, a Granby feed and pet-food supply store, Nestle Purina Pet Care Company and Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. The combined contributions from those three companies accounted for nearly 1,000 pounds. Based on the success of the event, Salmon Brook Veterinary Hospital intends to make the pet-food drive an annual event, Wolfe said. “We have a long history of serving the Farmington Valley and I think this drive is a great example of our commitment to the community. We look forward to collecting even more next year.”