Here at Wilderdog, we are proud to help out homeless dogs through our Purchase for a Pound program. If you're not yet familiar, we donate one pound of kibble for every purchase made on wilderdog.com.
In July we did something a bit different - rather than choose an animal shelter or rescue, we chose a homeless resource center for humans. Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento, California, provides homeless folks in the community with invaluable resources like hot meals, basic healthcare, legal resources, and much more, like Anneke's Haven!
Anneke’s Haven is a daytime kennel at Loaves and Fishes that houses the dogs and cats of the homeless guests while they eat, shower, attend medical appointments and access other essential services.
For many that are homeless, their four-legged friends are one of the few sources of comfort, companionship and unconditional love in their lives. Recognizing what an important role these animals played in the homeless populations’ well-being, Anneke’s Haven was started to make sure these special dogs and cats were taken care of while they’re owners were too.
For housed folks, we can always leave our pups at home in a warm, dry, house with a water bowl while we run errands, get a bite to eat, or go to job interviews. For unhoused folks, there isn't anywhere safe to leave their beloved dogs while they go to non-dog-friendly places. This prevents many people from getting access to care and resources.
Anneke's Haven gives many of the homeless guests peace of mind to know that their furry family members are safe, warm and dry while they get the assistance they need.
In addition to feeding the dogs in the daytime kennel, Loaves and Fishes also hands out free kibble every other week to guests in need. The big 40 pound bags are split into two twenty pound bags for folks to take with them, wherever they go. Loaves and Fishes let us know that our donation will help keep these dogs bellies' full until next year!
Every pound of food donated through this program during the month of July went straight to Anneke’s Haven, supporting them in their incredibly meaningful work. The best way to keep dogs out of shelters in the first place is to keep them with their people (and as Bob Barker loved to say, always spay or neuter your pets!). Thank you for helping us help them!
