LAKELAND, Fla. — There are numerous food drives this time of year when it comes to people, but what about pets?
Thousands of dogs and cats in our area are also going hungry. So, the Lakeland Fire Department and SPCA Florida teamed up to make a difference.
When firefighters pull out of the station, they often have no idea what to expect when they arrive on a scene.
“Our firefighters go on calls regularly where we are rescuing animals,” said Stephanie Lewis with the Lakeland Fire Department. “A lot of times, we are able to take those animals to SPCA for treatment, and actually, a lot of times, our firefighters are the ones that end up taking the animals home.”
The Lakeland Fire Department thought they would be the perfect agency to team up with SPCA Florida to raise money and pet food for families in need this holiday season.
“So this year, they are feeding 14,000 cats and dogs from income-challenged families that qualify for our program,” said Randa Richter with SPCA Florida.
They call the fundraiser The Seven Days of Giving.
“We are hoping to raise $7,000, collect 7,000 pounds of pet food, dog and cat food, and the drop locations are at the seven Lakeland Fire Stations,” said Lewis.
SPCA Florida said just because a pet owner may be low on income, that doesn’t mean they are low on love, and the nonprofit wants to do everything they can to keep pets with their families.
“We actually have a few recipients that live in their vehicle with their pet, so you can kind of understand the devastation, the situation they are in. They are barely getting by on their own, but they want to take care of their loved one,” said Richter.
If they reach their goal, it would provide enough pet food to sustain these families for the next three months.
7 Days of Giving continues through Nov. 11.
For more information, go to www.spcaflorida.org.
