Winter Causing Hardship for Homeless

Online, January 8, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Homeless that travel to the south to get away from the cold in the north are suffering, as the worse winter in decades is hitting the entire country. The hardship of finding food and shelter has put a strain on especially southern social agencies scrambling to help. Homeless with pets create another whole set of problems. Most shelters do not allow pets. Faced with giving up their pets for a bed, they choose to stay on the freezing streets. Pet food is not commonly given out at soup kitchens or at food banks. So the homeless with pets give a portion of their food to their companions. Food banks and pantries are getting more requests for pet food, as people turn to them for assistance during these economically depressed times.

To assist with pet food for the homeless and poor, the nonprofit, Pets of the Homeless is recruiting more pet related businesses to join the national volunteer organization to collect pet food and help food banks and soup kitchens by taking the donated pet food to them for distribution. More information on setting up a collection site is available by contacting Pets of the Homeless at (775) 841-7463 or at their website www.petsofhomeless.org.