Food Pantry For Pets Hopes To Help Owners That Fall On Hard Times

A Winston-Salem man hopes to prevent euthanasia of animals in the county. He started a pet food pantry with members of his church to help assist low-income residents.

The Fuzzy Friends Food Pantry provides free dog and cat food to struggling pet owners in Forsyth County. It officially opened this month at St. Anne's Episcopal Church.

The idea started with John Lockwood. He has volunteered for years at organizations that provide food assistance to people in need and at local animal shelters. He says the goal of the pantry is to help prevent the abandonment or surrender of animals.

“It's really sad because there really is a big need,” he says. “When I was volunteering, there was a high percentage of people that surrendered their pets to the animal shelter because they couldn't afford food or medical care and hopefully this will help people hold on to their pets.”

The pantry receives food and donations from the community. It's open the first and fourth Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Anyone who needs assistance will be required to fill out a form, bring a copy of a photo ID and provide verification of address and income.

“The assistance is available every 60 days for low income people,” says Lockwood. "We are a small operation right now, but my vision is to grow the program with community support.”

For more information, click here or call 336-760-4319.

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