Dogs have always been known as man’s best friend, but animals of all kinds have been known to give people comfort and friendship in a time of need. Maybe your dog put his head in your lap and reminded you that someone loves you when you needed it. Perhaps your cat made you laugh with the way they attacked a toy with such gusto.
As much as our animal friends do for us, there are plenty of times in which our furry friends need our help. The self storage industry has never hesitated to step up and help when local animals have needed it.
Recently, Affordable Self Storage in Hudson, New York, teamed up with three local radio stations, Shop Rite, Herrington’s, and Pyrofax Energy to help collect donations for the Columbia Greene Humane Society and the SPCA.
In these hard economic times it can be disheartening to have to give up a beloved family pet because you can’t afford pet food, but sometimes people are forced to make these tough decisions. Through events like this asking people to donate pet food, CGHS and the SPCA hope to keep that from happening.
“We’ve had an enormous response from everyone who’s come out,” said Ron Perez, the President of the Columbia Greene Humane Society. “We’ve had a lot of people experiencing hard times, and we don’t want them to be forced to surrender their pets... let’s keep these dogs and cats in their homes.”
There have been a number of other occasions where someone in the self storage industry has stepped up to help animals in need.
In 2009, Westy Self Storage in Chatam, New Jersey, hosted a Beer Bash fundraiser to benefit the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter. The shelter is a no-kill shelter that relies on the kindness of the community to keep in business and avoid the unnecessary deaths of animals that could be great companions for someone.
"We are so grateful to our good neighbor Westy Self Storage for providing the venue for our event, and, of course to Gary’s Wine and Marketplace for providing the fine beverages," said Michelle Chalmers Morris, Development Director at Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter. "Without the help of such caring organizations, our fundraising efforts will not be nearly as successful."
The Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry opened in 2010 with its base of operations a unit in Queen City Self-Storage. The Recycled Doggies and Pet Alliance, who run the Pantry, hope to keep as many pet-owners as possible from having to give up their family pets, much like the efforts in Hudson, New York, this past weekend.
"Part of what we've been hearing is that some of these dogs are there because their owners can't afford them anymore, explains Shannon DeBra, the Director of Recycled Doggies. “We believe that no one should be forced to choose whether to pay the rent or mortgage or buy food for the family pet."
Sources Used:
“Local radio stations raise funds for pet food pantry.” Register-Star.com; 17 April 2011.
“Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry Opened in Self-Storage Center.” Self Storage Industry News; 04 February 2010.
“Westy Self Storage Co-hosts Beer Bash for NJ Animal Shelter.” Self Storage Industry News; 18 October 2009.