Humane Animal Rescue in Pittsburgh provides pet supplies during pandemic

Julia Felton | Tuesday, June 9, 2020 1:50 p.m.

Pet food to be distributed for free.

Some pet owners are struggling to feed their furry friends in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic.

Humane Animal Rescue is offering free supplies through Ellie’s Pet Pantry to ensure pet owners can properly care for their animals during difficult times.

Ellie’s Pet Pantry is a program to support pet retention.

“Ellie’s Pet Pantry supplies members of our local community with food for hungry pets, assisting families who have fallen on hard times and may be struggling to keep their families intact,” said Melissa Smith, Humane Animal Rescue’s marketing director.

The program hosts distribution events monthly, providing a month’s supply of food at a time, Smith said.

Humane Animal Rescue reported that they’ve served 967 animals through Ellie’s Pet Pantry so far this year. Since the start of the pandemic, they have provided supplies for 725 pets.

During the pandemic, Ellie’s Pet Pantry has been donating nearly triple the amount of food they typically provide, Smith said.

“As covid-19 began to hit the Greater Pittsburgh area, we asked our community to help us bolster Ellie’s Pet Pantry to prepare for the greater need. The result was incredible,” Smith said.

Greater Good’s Rescue Bank also supported the initiative, donating 39 pallets of pet food.

Humane Animal Rescue said they’ll host another community distribution event on Wednesday at their North Side Campus. They anticipate serving about 100 people.

“Pet food will be stacked in our garage at the back of our parking lot at our North Side Campus,” Smith said. “As each car pulls forward, our staff will ask what type of pet food is needed and load it directly into the person’s trunk to keep the distribution contactless.”