FILL THEIR BOWLS

ByBethA.Klahre

Thanks to Paws-Ability, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, pet owners in Brunswick County can rest assured that their furry companions won’t go hungry even when times get tough. Paws Pantry, a program run by PawsAbility, supplies dog and cat food at food pantries at Southport Oak Island InterChurch Fellowship (SOIICF) in Southport and Brunswick Family Assistance in

Help Fill Their Bowls

Paws-Ability, Stella’s Touch, and Paws Pantry are always looking for new volunteers.

“If you love animals, you’ve found your place!” said PawsAbility board of directors vice president Mary Beth Mount . Help make sure no one goes to bed hungry in Brunswick County, including our furry companions. Visit Paws Pantry at www.paws-ability. org/pawspantry to purchase from Chewy or Amazon wish lists, or to make a monetary donation, drop off pet food at specified bin locations, or volunteer to help at a fundraiser. Even organize your own fundraiser with your neighbors and friends, or your card club or book club.

both Shallotte and Leland. Paws Pantry also distributes pet food through two Brunswick County Meals on Wheels routes.

Southport resident Elizabeth Miller is the volunteer team lead for Paws Pantry. Before retiring to coastal Carolina, she volunteered in her hometown food pantry in Virginia.

“Some older ladies kept coming in, but they didn’t want fruits or veggies, just big bags of rice and meat products. I offered fruit which they always declined. They told me this was all they eat. And what their pets eat. It was then I realized these women were sharing their food with their pets,” Miller says.

A Humble Beginning

Miller planned to find a food pantry in the area when she moved to Southport in 2017. But there wasn’t one that provided pet food.

“So, I thought I better start one,” she says. Miller placed requests on social media for pet food donations. “It was amazing how responsive people were,” she recalls.

Miller did not stop there. Eventually she found a food pantry in Boiling Spring Lakes that agreed to distribute pet food. When Southport resident and Paws-Ability board of directors vice president Mary Beth Mount heard what Miller was doing, she invited her to speak at Paws-Ability. And Paws Pantry was born.

“Paws-Ability was the perfect fit to expand my program,” Miller says. She has two cats and two dogs of her own, all rescues.

Food Insecurity in Brunswick County

Miller explains that due to the nature of where we live, there are many seasonal workers who find full time work in the summer, but only a few days a week in the off-season, causing fluctuations in their incomes. This affects both their own well-being and the wellbeing of their pets.

“The extent of food insecurity in

Brunswick County is daunting,” Miller says, noting that Brunswick County is one of the most foodinsecure counties in the country.

Expansion to Meals on Wheels

Paws Pantry expanded a second time when two of Miller’s friends who volunteer for Meals on Wheels found used trays from the prior deliveries on the floor near pet food bowls. They brought their concern to Miller. And now, two Meals on Wheels routes—the Supply route and the St. Peters Lutheran Church route—deliver pet food along with meals for adults.

“It’s wonderful to know that we are helping vulnerable people who are running short or under financial crisis. They no longer have to share their food with their pets,” Miller said.

Paws Pantry, which relies heavily on many dedicated volunteers, provides both wet and dry cat and dog food fulfilling 40% of a pet’s food requirements. Last year 44,000 pounds of pet food were delivered to Brunswick County food pantries and Meals on Wheels clients. Diligent portion control through partnerships with these reputable food pantries, which operate on defined criteria for human food portion control, ensure that approved clients with pets are being adequately served. Food pantry clients can pick up pet food either once per month or once every two weeks dependent on the location. Meals on Wheels clients receive a supply of pet food once every two months.

Pawsability staff and volunteers prepare pet food for distribution to furry friends. From left are Jeremy Pechin, BFA Program Manager; Mike Edwards, BFA Volunteer; Amanda Johnson, BFA Assistant Program Manager; Wayne Hintze, BFA Volunteer; Linda Kilgore, PA Paws Pantry/BFA Volunteer; and Jill Oakley, PA Paws Pantry/BFA Volunteer.

THE MANY FACETS OF PAWS-ABILITY

Paws-Ability raises funds to assist local animal rescue groups and to support programs to improve animal welfare in Brunswick and New Hanover Counties. Paws-Ability supports spay/neuter programs, supports Trap-Neuter-Return programs for community cats, and operates Stella’s Touch to help pet parents facing financial hardship with veterinary care for injury or illness.

Paws-Ability board of directors vice president Mary Beth Mount Mount, who has been involved in animal rescue since the 1980s and has three rescue cats and three rescue dogs of her own, said, “Paws-Ability is a unique organization that fills a gap in animal welfare that I have not seen anywhere else.”

In addition to fundraising, Paws-Ability provides assistance to rescues and pet guardians and educates to ensure animals receive the care and respect they deserve while maintaining the human-animal bond.

Since its inception in 2007, Paws-Ability, which has no paid employees and no physical location, has grown its fundraising and programs. Over 90% of the money raised goes directly to the animals.