Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi All!

We run a community pet pantry for our city as part of our intake diversion programs, but are running into an issue of individuals taking advantage of the program. If you have a pet food pantry how are you regulating it? Would love to hear about everyones program to help improve ours and be able to help more people instead of a small number wiping out our supplies each month. 

Thanks everyone =)

-Taylor

Hi Taylor! We have a very low barrier application program and we track their visits through PETPOINT. If you use Petpoint, I highly suggest having a representative show you all the tips and tricks that are within the program! We also have only 2 scheduled pick up days per month that is regulated by a staff member to help out! We have partnered with our local grocery stores, as well as our local food banks and we promote a wish list for the pet pantry in the community. That is our best way to keep our shelves stocked! 

We track how many animals they have and how many are spayed/neutered, or goal being to convince food assistance clients to s/n pets to prevent more animals in the home.  If they won't comply with free s/n services at our clinic, we will warn them they won't get further food assistance.  We also have people who seem to think this is a lifelong service, and we struggle to keep them from collecting more animals because we are offering food assistance.  To maintain current animals, we want to help, but not to feel suddenly able to get more.  So chatting about number of animals they have and what is happening with them, getting vaccines and so on, helps us sort out who we feel we want to continue to assist.  We almost always give them some food even when denied assistance.  Sorry, this is probably the last time we will be able to help you if you do not feel able to s/n your female dog and/or her puppies.  We struggle

Our clients have to fill out an application including information about pets, financial information, etc. We also require that each client allow a home visit at least once per year. (When we added the home visit we had a SUDDEN drop in the number of interested people. I wonder what they did not want us to see?) We have a monthly distribution day and we have purchased sturdy food grade buckets with reusable lids that the food is distributed in. We have a few clients that actually get home delivery (due to medical reasons that make coming to pickup to difficult for them) We do not have an absolute s/n requirement but we definitely point people in that direction, and help them find funding for it. (We have a few clients who have tiny little house dogs that are literally never outside not on a walking leash or  use pee pads indoors.  They are NOT reproducing.) In 4 years of this program only once have we had to intervene because a litter of pups was born.

Our program focuses on forming close friendships with our clients. It is more than just a pet food pantry. But even when it was "just" a pet food distribution service, using the buckets to control how much each client received and have only a monthly distribution point kept things manageable. 

Hi Taylor, 

Our program is low barrier and seems to work out nicely. Applicants only need to submit proof of alter for their pets and then live in our county.

They sign an agreement saying that they won't add any new pets to their household while receiving assistance and that they agree to reapplying annually. 

https://www.hssv.org/pet-pantry/