A.G. Out Loud! » pet loss

Dog Food Pantry Started Out of Grief

Anne — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:36:10 +0000

Grief over the loss of a pet can take many forms. I’ve said several times on this site that I’m afraid that I’ll have to be heavily medicated when that time comes for one of my dogs. I applaud people who take that grief and use it for something positive.

Woman starts pantry to help those who can’t afford food for animals
By Mike Blackerby

PHOTO BY WADE PAYNE

Rio Hays walks 3-year-old Harley, a Poshie, and 4-month-old Rama at Victor Ashe Park on Friday. Hays started the Knoxville Pet Food Pantry, which helps those who can’t afford to provide food for their pets.
Rio Hays turned the grief of losing her beloved dog into a mission of procuring pet food for financially strapped Knoxvillians who can’t provide for their animals.

Hays, a 26-year-old student and Web designer, began the Knoxville Pet Food Pantry about two years ago after the death of her Sadie, an Australian cattle dog.

“She had a freak allergic reaction to anesthesia and passed away,” Hays said. “I was put aside by the grief I had for her and then saw a news report about dogs being euthanized because their owners couldn’t feed them. I saw that these people were feeling the same sadness and grief that I was.”

At that point, Hays, never one to sit on the sidelines, went into action.

“My sister and I were raised in a situation where we always participated in philanthropy and did things like work for food pantries,” she said. “When Sadie passed, the grief was so intense that the only thing I could do was funnel it to try and help other people so that they didn’t have to go through the same thing I did because they couldn’t feed their pets.”

Once she became engrossed in the cause, Hays, a North Knoxvillian, said she was surprised by the acute need for a local pet food pantry.

“I saw a study where the No. 3 reason owners gave for surrendering their pets was because they couldn’t afford to feed them anymore,” she said. “A lot of animals are euthanized because their owners can’t afford to feed them. To me, that’s horrific.”

Hays initially advertised her desire to help pet owners online, and her cause quickly spread by word-of-mouth.

In addition to the obvious need for dog and cat food, Hays said she has had other surprising requests: “I had requests for horse feed, bird feed and even a request for fresh vegetables for reptiles.”

Hays said the flood of requests has been overwhelming.

“For the longest time, I’ve personally gone and bought food and given it to people,” she said. “It started to get really expensive, and I thought, ‘This is the kind of thing I could get help with.’ “

Hays said she is in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for the Knoxville Pet Food Pantry – http://knoxpetpantry.weebly.com/ – and is hoping to partner with local nonprofit agencies to distribute pet food.

Hays, who may also be contacted at 865-755-1079 for those who wish to donate pet food, said one of her top priorities is assisting Knoxville’s elderly pet lovers.

“A big concern of mine is the elderly population,” Hays said. “A lot of them are on fixed incomes or homebound. I’ve heard a lot of stories like, ‘My mother, or a friend, had to surrender their animals because they couldn’t afford food.’

“For some people, these are pets they’ve had for 10 years. That’s much more than a dog to them, that’s their companion. That’s heartbreaking to me.”

Mike Blackerby is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.

The Marriage Ref

Anne — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:36:10 +0000

OH. MY. GOSH. I just got done watching the Olympic Closing Ceremonies and then The Marriage Ref was on. It seemed like a cute concept so I watched it. The first marital fight is about a husband who lost his beloved dog and got him stuffed by a taxidermist. The wife was MORTIFIED. Her husband wants to display his stuffed dog in their home in front of a shrine honoring him. The ref is supposed to decide who is in the right after it is debated by three stars.

Apparently last year 1000 people stuffed their dog after the dog passed. Now…I LOVE my dogs. I may, in fact, even be a crazy dog lady. But…I would NEVER have my dogs stuffed! Are you nuts? Why would you want a daily reminder that your dog is dead? Plus, wouldn’t you have to dust it? Gross. I plan on having several dogs over my lifetime, so can you imagine if I had them all stuffed? Where would I put them all?

I can totally relate to grieving a deceased pet and wanting to honor them. I think I will choose to donate to a dog charity in their name when that time comes. I promise you will NEVER see a deceased dog stuffed in my house. Sheesh.

Humphrey Was Here…

Anne — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:36:25 +0000

I think the scariest thing as a dog owner is thinking about losing your best friend(s) someday. I can’t even imagine how I’ll react someday and I’ve said many times before that when that time comes I will need some serious counseling and probably medication.

Photographer Mark J. Asher knows all too well about losing his best friend. Seven years ago he unexpectedly lost his German Shepherd/Chow mix, Humphrey. Out of his grief came a beautiful tribute to Humphrey in the form of his memoir, Humphrey Was Here: A Dog Owners Story of Love, Loss, and Letting Go (Volume 1). The level of detail in Asher’s storytelling is captivating and his love for Humphrey oozes out of every sentence.

Click on the book image below to learn more about this great book and to read an excerpt. I know the spirit of Humphrey will touch you as much as it has touched me.

Children:Dealing With Pet Loss

Anne — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:17:06 +0000

Losing a pet is the most difficult thing about pet ownership. I know I will have to be heavily medicated when that time comes. So if it’s so tough for us adults, imagine how confusing and sad it must be for kids. Saying Goodbye to Lulu is a book that eloquently deals with the grief of losing a pet that kids can relate to.