ATASCADERO — Woods Humane Society is asking the community to donate pet food for families facing financial hardship during its upcoming Pet Pantry Donation Drive held at all SLO County Lemos Feed & Pet Supply locations on April 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

As an incentive to participate, Lemos will offer a 15 percent discount on any goods purchased for donation during the event, and Sylvester’s Burgers will provide certificates for a free Ziggy’s Taco or Sylvester’s Burger to anyone who donates a bag of pet food during the event.

“In recent months, we have fielded an increasing number of calls from distressed pet parents who are dedicated to their beloved pets but need immediate help to provide these dogs and cats with their most basic needs,” explains Community Engagement Manager Robin Coleman. “Our Pet Pantry program aims to provide support to these families so that more pets can receive the nourishment they need and remain in their loving homes. We hope the community will join us in spreading the word about this service and stocking up on our supplies during this hard time.”

The Woods Humane Society Pet Pantry began in 2020 in response to the large number of pet parents who were facing unprecedented hardships due to COVID-19. With the support of generous community members and businesses like Lemos Feed & Pet Supply and Hills Pet Nutrition, Woods was able to deliver thousands of pounds of pet food and supplies to the community. Since then, the organization has continued to make it a priority to ensure that pets facing food scarcity have access to nutritious food. In 2023, it shared 12,727 pounds of pet food, thanks to the generous donations of compassionate community members.

In addition to sharing food with individual pet owners, the nonprofit animal shelter works with community distribution partners such as Lumina Alliance, Salvation Army, 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, Paso Cares, and local church food pantries to improve pet owners’ access to Pet Pantry supplies throughout the county. This month, Woods expanded their reach by forming a new partnership with ECHO (El Camino Homeless Organization), serving North County families.

To learn more about Woods Humane Society’s Pet Pantry program, visit woodshumanesociety.org/pet-pantry/. To contribute to the Pet Pantry in advance of the Donation Drive event, visit Woods’ Pet Pantry Amazon wish list of items most urgently needed, or drop off donations of unopened, unexpired bags of pet food at either Woods Humane Society locations during daily open hours.

In an effort to help pets remain in loving homes and out of animal shelters, Woods Humane Society also operates two low-cost spay/neuter clinics, affordable dog behavior and training classes, and regular free vaccine and microchip clinics for the public.  

Woods Humane Society is located at 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo, and at 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero, and is open to the public daily from 12 to 5 p.m., with adoption hours from 12 to 4 p.m. For more information about Woods, visit WoodsHumane.org or call (805) 543-9316.