I just did the following commentary for WCHL 1360AM Radio, a local station based in Orange County but that reaches much of Durham & some of Wake) which will play on Friday of this week. I've organized Carrboro Plaza Vet's 2nd Annual Pet Food Drive in conjunction with the Orange County Animal Shelter.

Quote :

" This is Jake Gellar-Goad. I'm a Chapel Hill resident, and I've got something to say. I wanted to talk about the importance of remembering animals in need during this economic downturn. At times like this, there are many non-profit organizations and charities that are worthy of support. But one cause that’s easy to overlook is animal welfare -- because animals can't speak out for themselves. One way to help is by supporting local shelters. Economic downturns can mean tough decisions for many individuals and families, and some of those decisions result in many more pets ending up at animal shelters at a time when shelters may not be receiving as much support as usual. There are several ways you can help: * You can show your support by volunteering at your local shelter. * You can show your support by finding room in your home for a new four-legged addition. * Or, you can give pet food & supplies to your local shelter. Towards that end, I've organized the 2nd annual Pet Food Drive at Carrboro Plaza Vet in conjunction with the Orange County Animal Shelter. If you have any pet food or supplies that you would like to donate, please bring them by Carrboro Plaza Vet by 1 pm today. If you can stop by between 12 & 1, we invite & encourage you to hang out, grab a goodie bag, enjoy the refreshments, and meet some of the staff from Carrboro Plaza Vet & the Orange County Animal shelter -- plus play with a few dogs that are available for adoption! For directions & additional details, check out our website at carrboroplazavet.com."

Food Collected during the 2008 Pet Food Drive

After I did the commentary the guy who helped me record it said this sounded like an interesting event & that they may even do a new story on it so I'm really hoping that happens to help spread the word about the food drive. This Friday also happens to be my last day at the Carrboro Plaza Vet Clinic. I've been working there for about 3 years, but I'm starting grad school at NCSU in the fall for a MPA degree, and this food drive is one of my "pet projects" (pun fully intended) that I want to see continue long after I'm gone. So if anyone wants to bring by any unopened pet food, you can do so during the event, or anytime this week before the event (the food drive was actually a month long, but this is just the grand finale event).


This event was surprisingly easy to organize. Shelters won't say no to free food, vet clinic's love to be the venue for the free publicity & b/c they honestly care about pets, and media like it b/c it's a feel good story... so if anyone isn't around Orange County to attend this one, but wants to organize their own "Pet Food Drive" I say go for it!

8/3/2009 4:34:18 PM

<3 What a wonderful thing you do, Jake. I hope they do do a story. Maybe get some baskets at grocery stores or outside Petsmart/Petco.

8/3/2009 4:50:58 PM

but people need food

8/3/2009 4:56:13 PM

Do you just need food? Or can we bring unopened containers of kitty litter or other pet products?

8/3/2009 4:57:04 PM

^Other pet supplies are cool too. They shelter can use 'em all. (and if for any reason there was an item donated that the shelter couldn't use, I could easily find a low-income client of the vet clinic who could use it)

8/3/2009 6:09:55 PM

^^^And people can go get jobs.

8/3/2009 6:39:27 PM

not to steal your thread...


but the spca distributes free pet food on the morning of the third saturday of every month at the shelter off tryon rd

8/3/2009 7:46:17 PM

Quote :

"not to steal your thread... "

Not at all, it sounds very much like the same cause to me. That sounds like a very cool thing they do.

8/3/2009 8:50:13 PM

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116576337418

I just wanted to share the Facebook Event link for anyone uses facebook.

8/4/2009 9:30:27 AM

Quote :

"^^^And people can go get jobs."

Hey kid, fuck you go get a job! I'd rather feed a stray dog than your starving ass

---krneo1

8/4/2009 9:33:03 AM

^I don't think this needs to turn into a competition amongst needy charities. This is a local charity that helps out needy animals in the area, but there are plenty of other worthy causes out there too.

***Update***

WCHL Radio contacted me today for a phone interview for a news story to cover the event which will hopefully help draw more attention to the event

8/4/2009 11:13:55 AM

I like my critters more than I like (most) people

8/4/2009 11:24:12 AM

Thanks, BobbyDigital, for turning this into a what-charity-is-better contest.
^Exactly, and this is for local animals. It's great that BD wants to help out starving children. Get off TWW and go do it! Join the Peace Corps, I know some folks in there.

As for me, I'd rather help all kinds of animals, because they don't have rational thought and can't speak human languages. And we fucked them up in the first place by going OOHHHH CUTE KITTEN, LET'S MAKE MORE SO WE CAN HAVE MONEYS.

I feel bad for the starving and diseased people of the world, but honestly, it's the governments and armies that need to change. They withhold food to gain their peoples' obedience, or to just be dicks. And anyway, there are PLENTY of starving people in America, you don't need to Google some African kid.


<BACK TO JAKE'S THREAD.>

[Edited on August 4, 2009 at 11:41 AM. Reason : ^]

8/4/2009 11:41:08 AM

I only donate my money to africans with pets

8/4/2009 11:46:33 AM

wow, i guess we can add krneo1 to the list of completely-detached-from-reality-batshit-insane wolfwebbers.

recap:

- she likes to help animals because they don't have rational thought and can't speak
- people are starving because they won't get jobs or due to governments witholding food


THEY ARE JUST FUCKING ANIMALS. THEY ARENT EVEN ENDANGERED. FUCKING PUT THEM DOWN.

8/4/2009 12:17:04 PM

People aren't really special or endangered. Just put them down!

8/4/2009 1:52:51 PM

Not even worth it. I'll just grow vegetable trees and feed people to animals.

[Edited on August 4, 2009 at 2:40 PM. Reason : Fuckinay... Just go donate <3]

8/4/2009 2:38:13 PM

I've got tons of cat treats that I would love to donate


But I won't be able to make it to Carrboro on Friday. Can I just drop them off at any time?

8/4/2009 2:39:49 PM

People aren't really special or endangered overpopulated. Just aggressively put them down!


bttt & back on topic

8/4/2009 2:40:21 PM

^^It is a month long food drive, Friday is just the grand finale event. So if you could make it by any time between 7:30am & 6pm today, tomorrow, Thursday, or until 1 pm on Friday that would be fine. You'll just miss out on the goodie bags & refreshments & entertainment if you don't come by at the event time. But certainly many people have already brought food and supplies.

After the event we wont be collecting donations any more, (I mean we will...any time someone donates random stuff to us we find someone who needs it, but it wouldn't be as a part of this food drive & it probably wouldn't end up supporting the shelter directly), but you can always donate directly to shelters if you can't make it to the event or make it by sometime before the event. I've never known an animal shelter to say no to donations.

8/4/2009 3:58:35 PM

Quote :

"I've got tons of cat treats that I would love to donate "

lol same here. Kitt has got enough treats to out last him.

and to the person talking about feeding those Julius Hodge type fellas.


they turn in to these people


[Edited on August 4, 2009 at 5:47 PM. Reason : lol]

8/4/2009 5:47:06 PM

jesus christ

everything on TWW turns into a pissing match

Supplanter, you should submit a story for the front page news of TWW and list your times and dates on the TWW calendar

8/5/2009 9:19:21 AM

^Thanks for the tip, I might just do that.

Here are a few articles about puppy mill legislation. I think the final vote is today. My senator, Ellie Kinnaird has been a supporter of the legislation. Didn't think it was worth starting a second pet related thread or anything, but I thought anyone interested in this pet food drive thread might like to know about this too.



http://www.animallawcoalition.com/companion-animal-breeding/article/897



http://www.examiner.com/x-17430-Norfolk-Pet-Laws-Examiner~y2009m7d28-NC-to-follow-VA-in-regulating-puppy-mills



http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookup/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=S460

[Edited on August 5, 2009 at 12:57 PM. Reason : .]

8/5/2009 12:57:16 PM

^^I submitted the story... now just to see if it makes it up in time to do any good with the event being this Friday & all.

8/5/2009 4:11:04 PM

News coverage for the event including my interview:
http://www.wchl1360.com/details.html?id=11309

8/6/2009 7:56:26 AM

Sorry to bump this again, but I know I wont have time in the morning for the event tomorrow Friday the 7th that ends at 1 pm, and I wanted to go through all the sites I put this on & bump it just in case it gets us even one more bag or can of food.

8/6/2009 10:30:51 PM

Purina Dog Chow is BOGO this week at Harris Teeter...There are 3.00 off a bag coupons floating around. Go get this place a 20lb bag for 4.00 and be done with it.

8/6/2009 10:35:40 PM

8/6/2009 11:39:17 PM

Pics from the event!!!



This is one of several of our pet food collection areas. We by far beat our collections from last years food drive.



A rep from Hills Pet Food set up a table with info for our event.



The Orange County Animal Shelter set up a table too. They've joined in on this event both years we've been doing it, and have been the recipients of the pet food.



And of course there were refreshments & goodie bags for all!



Here is Rudder, a doggie from the shelter who is available for adoption, playing with one of our techs.


Here is a group shot of the people who ran the event. The Hills Pet Food Rep is on the left, Sarah Fallin & Rudder from the shelter are in the middle, and I am on the right. This was my last day at the vet clinic before going off to grad school, and the last event I'll get to organize for them, but I sure hope they keep it going so I can attend again next year!

8/7/2009 2:45:42 PM

Quote :

"I don't think this needs to turn into a competition amongst needy charities."

There is no competition. This is not a needy charity.

The needy animal problem can be solved for like 10 cent each. None of this 30 dollars will feed one child for a month stuff. 10 cents will take care of one animal for the rest of its life.

8/7/2009 7:50:38 PM

^^Looks like you had a great turnout! This is a great thing you guys are doing!

8/7/2009 8:20:13 PM

Quote :

"everything on TWW turns into a pissing match"

8/7/2009 9:31:04 PM

hurray!

8/7/2009 9:39:35 PM

it looked like you had a lot of stuff there when i dropped my pet food off. awesome!

8/9/2009 2:35:48 AM

Quote :

"I only donate my money to africans with pets"

lol

8/9/2009 5:34:18 AM