Week 77 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

“Stand Down”

Liana Moss, Community Outreach Specialist rolls our

284 pound pet food donation into PACC on Monday. 

Troops in a state of readiness are told to stand down when there is “a temporary cessation of offensive actions; cease-fire; truce: a stand-down for the Christmas holidays. a work stoppage or layoff.” In other words, it’s a much needed break for food and rest in a safe place.

Many charitable groups such as PACC use the term stand down to provide special services to veterans, particularly the homeless.

On Wednesday, February 19^th, I got an email from Shari Mollencopf at PACC updating us on their Homeless Vet outreach program.

“Thank you so much for the donation. On March 11 through the 13th we will be handing out food to homeless vets so it differently will be put to good use.

The Stand Down for Vets will be at the Grand Luxe hotel on Grant if you would like to drop by and see us in action. The event is from 10 to 2 each day. 

Just a thought, we have a great deal of cat food but dog food is what we use the most of. If it's possible can you stop the cat food for a while and just do dog food.

Thank you.

Shari”

Although the work is quite serious at PACC they still

have time for fun and smiles. Liana is pretending to 

cross the shadow finish line to win the race to feed

the pets of the homeless vets. 

At Shari’s request we donated mostly dog food this week. We will continue to do so until told otherwise.

This week’s donation was 284.2 lbs. of pet food and $25.00 in checks. In addition, there were 2 Bully treat bags, 2 roll bags, 4 small diapers, 5 absorbent pads and 5 pill bottles. As an aside, notice the blooming African Daisies of the left. That’s a good thing, too.

See you Sunday,

Peter 

Week 76 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

Welcoming Gift in Reverse

That massive thorny Mesquite tree on the corner of 13^th and Cherry always disturbed me when I’d walk by with my pups.

Its ugliness took up the whole sidewalk. Twice I reported the property to Code Enforcement over the last three years but nothing happened. Then the vacant duplex was put on the market. That was the first sign that something good may be on the horizon.

A few months later a “Sold” sign appeared on the bottom of the larger listing sign. Then new front doors with shiny numbers replaced the old doors. Those old doors were cut up and placed in the dumpster. Another good sign.

As I drove by the duplex on my rounds this past Sunday, I noticed a pickup truck parked in the driveway. When I backed up, I saw the real estate security lock opened indicating a principle was on sight. Chris was there to do repairs and he was the new owner, too. I welcomed him to the neighborhood and told him about the free cleanup services and how safe our Miles neighborhood is. He told me he loves Tucson and has two kids at the U of A and two in high school.  

Chris is also a developer/contractor and lives near the Arizona Inn so he will be around. As a welcoming gift, I offered to cut down that Mesquite tree and he approved. That was the best sign.

On my walk with my pups Monday morning I planned to study the Mesquite to determine the best approach to dismantle that thorny mess. A large truck was parked near the curb so we had to walk around to approach the tree.

It was gone.

Some kind of thorn eating machine grabbed that thing, held it up and the branches were cut by somebody. The ground on both sides of the sidewalk was pretty torn up, too. 

I thought, "What a great way to introduce yourself to a new neighborhood." Chris took the initiative and gave us a welcoming gift. Can’t wait to see what he does next to enhance that corner. In the meantime, if you see a metallic blue pickup in the driveway, stop by and introduce yourself to Chris. Show him we care about folks, especially when they care about our sidewalks.

This week’s donation was 278.6 lbs. of pet food and a $10.00 check. In addition, there were 2 Pooch Pads, 122 gal. Zip bags, 110 qt. Zip bags, 1 treat chew, 1 cat collar, 6 pill bottles and 2 rolls of plastic bags.

See you Sunday,

Peter 

Week 75 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

In the middle of our last cold snap a couple of day ago, Shari at PACC handed out 240 lbs. of dog food and 60 bags of treats. Her photos made me sad but so glad you are helping me feed hundreds of homeless pets in need. Helping Shari and Liana do this important work keeps me very motivated. Bet you feel the same.

A little pup was worried but curious about what was going on.

Then she smelled the food and she was all in.

On a lighter note…

When my Surface comes out of sleep mode, Microsoft displays a beautiful Spotlight photo that helps me focus immediately. Captivating images of bridges, mountains, meadows, really fun stuff to look at. But they outdid themselves with this photograph.

An American Pika in Colorado near Loveland Pass. Need I say more?

This week’s donation was 259.5 lbs. of pet food and $11.00 in cash and one check. In addition there were 3 pill bottles and 2 rolls of plastic bags.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 74 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

There Is a Reason Why You Are Seeing

So Many Homeless Folks on Our Streets

In late December, the federal government released figures showing that the U.S. homeless rate increased 2.7% over 2019 because of the housing crisis in California. Turns out that California’s homeless rate increased a whopping 16.4% in the same time period “even though voters approved a $4 billion affordable housing bond more than a year ago, and Los Angeles passed its own $1.2 billion housing bond in 2016.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hud-estimates-2-7-percent-rise-u-s-homelessness-due-n1106061

So what’s the problem if there is lots of money for affordable housing? Two words … neighborhood opposition. Oh, and very high housing costs in cities like San Francisco that incidentally passed their own $600 million bond for affordable housing.

Now you know why I am excited about the PACC Outreach Program for homeless companion pets. PACC realized homeless folks need their pets to stay connected and those pets need our food to stay healthy and happy.

Yes, we have to wait for affordable housing because humans have a real hard time being human. Fortunately, we have PACC leading the way to the next best solution.

Got a great email from Shari Mollencopf, who runs the PACC Outreach Program along with Liana Moss. She wrote:

“Thank you for all your hard work in getting donations for the outreach program. We will be bagging food and treats today to take to the homeless working the gem show. This is a huge demand this time of year and your support is truly a blessing…

…One thing that we always need are Ziploc bags,  both gallon and quart size.

Thank you again for all you do.

Shari.”

This week’s donation was 253.8 lbs. of pet food and $25.00 in cash and two checks. In the photo above notice the boxes of “tab locked” baggies Shari requested in her email. That should held them until next week.

We also donated 4 pill bottles and 1 roll of poop bags.

See you Sunday,

Peter 

Week 73 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

A Half Ton of Pet Food ... Since January 1st

1,359.4 lbs. to be exact.

This week’s donation was 268.7 lbs. of pet food and $12.85 in cash and one check. The dollars translate to 14.3 lbs. Together they add up to 283 lbs. of pet food.

Add the totals for the last three weeks, 321.9, 402.3 and 351.2 lbs., we get 1,359.4 lbs. of pet food we donated in just 4 weeks.

That’s amazing!

Also this week we donated 1 Pedi-Paws nail grinder, 1 harness, 6 scoop bags, 1 Lockout car seat strap, 2 retractable leads and 7 pill bottles.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 72 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

PACC Ahead of the Curve*

*Positioned to anticipate or initiate the latest developments in animal rescue.

For a couple of weeks now we have been talking about how PACC is reaching out to help pets in Tucson’s homeless community. Free food, booties, medical assistance, whatever it takes to keep the pets with their companions. In reality, this move stems the flow of surrendered pets at their front door. Remember, a surrendered pet costs $100 a day to maintain on site.

Just this week I learned first hand about another program PACC has initiated, ahead of the curve, as it were, with Santa Cruz Veterinary Clinic on S. 12^th Avenue.

Steve, my friend on 13^th Street, takes care of several cats, including a number of feral “fur balls,” as he calls them. One long-time fur ball called Mom started to show signs of an upper respiratory infection; sneezing, wheezing and constant runny nose.

I suggested we trap Mon and then I could take her to the Santa Cruz Vet Clinic for him. My newer, functioning trap helped to seal the deal. Sunday afternoon Steve brought Mom over and I housed her in my heated shed for the night. Eight o’clock Monday, Mom and I arrived at the clinic.

What a busy place that is at check-in time. People in front of the counter holding leads, people behind the counter clicking computer keys and moving papers in and out of clipboards and of course, animals all over the floor.

I moved carefully, covered trap in hand, to an open space at the far end of the counter and waited. Soon a medical assistant motioned me to come forward. Her first question was about spaying. I replied that the feral cat was already spayed but had some kind of lung infection. She told me that was okay and started to fill out a form on the clipboard. I noticed PACC TNR printed at the top of the form but I wasn’t sure why. I gave Steve’s info and explained she could call him for his credit card when it is time to pay.

She told me that would not be necessary. PACC takes care of feral cats for folks and there is no charge for spaying or other medical situations. The last thing she needed was my phone number so I could be called for pick up.

I was shaking my head a bit and blinking as I walked back to my truck. What just happened? It started when I walked in with that cage. Even with all those folks ahead of me, I got singled out and handled quickly.

As I drove north on Park toward Broadway, I finally figured it out. This is another Ahead of the Curve program at PACC.

Any feral cat in a trap gets fixed for free and cared for later if need be. It’s the trap that signals the response at Santa Cruz. Most folks don’t have traps. Most folks don’t get involved with TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return). But those who do have such traps become one of PACC’s primary markets just as homeless folks have. Really smart thinking on PACC’s part.

Have Feral Cats?

Of course you do, every neighborhood in Tucson has them. So here’s what you do. Buy a trap or two at Harbor Freight on 22^nd and Craycroft. They cost a whopping $20 bucks each. Then when you trap a cat, take it to Santa Cruz Veterinary Clinic at 5408 S. 12^th Avenue, 520.889.9643. Everything will be taken care of for you and in no time you and the fixed cat will be home … you making meals for the cat and the cat not making any more kittens for you.

More Information on the Santa Cruz Veterinary Clinic

Bennett at PACC told me about Santa Cruz when Haley had a problem with a cherry eye, the third eyelid popping out of the corner of her left eye. The surgery was done quickly and inexpensively. They were also very professional. That made them my new vet.

Location: 5408 S. 12^th Avenue

Take Park or Kino to Irvington. Turn right on Irvington to 12^th Avenue. Turn left and look for Ace Hardware in a strip mall on the right. Santa Cruz is next door. Yes, it is a drive, but the care and professionalism you and your pet will receive is well worth the trip.

Telephone: 520.889.9643

Even as busy as they are, they answer the phone. If you have to leave a message, they do get back to you.

Website:  https://www.santacruzpet.com/

Check out their fee schedule which amazingly is posted online. Here’s one: Office Exam and Consultation fee - $35.00. The other thing is they treat so many pets, their medical skills are honed every day.  

This week’s donation was 273.9 lbs. of pet food and $69.60 in cash and two checks. The dollars translate to 77.3 lbs. of food.  Together they add up to 351.2 lbs. of pet food.

Also we donated 2 covered cat litter bins (see truck roof), 2 bags of Beggin strips, 2 Bark chews, 1 food container, 5 dog collars and 1 lead.

See you Sunday,

Peter

Week 71 - Rescued Critters Food Drive

Hi Folks,

This Week's 403.3 lbs. is the most pet food ever!

Just count the bags, 5 dog food and 5 cat food.

It’s almost like clockwork now. Soon after I arrive at PACC on Mondays, Liana and Shari appear at the front desk to quickly accept and haul our donation away. They are always excited to get our food because we are the only folks donating so much to their outreach program.

Their next important event is the Gem Show which begins January 30^th and runs 18 days through February 16^th. It’s Tucson biggest event and PACC’s, too.

On October 7, 2018, a few weeks after we launched Rescued Critters Food Drive, we donated 378 lbs. of food. However that was mostly in cash, because I donated the money the salvage yard paid me for my old truck.

Today’s donation was 336.6 lbs. of pet food and $60.00 in two check. The dollars translate to 66.7 lbs. of food.  Together they created that monster number of 403.3 lbs.

Also we donated 2 small blankets, 5 regular towels and 3 pill bottles.

To refresh your memory, one 50 lb. bag of dog food can feed, on average, 100 25 lb. dogs (Westie, Beagle, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier) a single half pound meal. So we need to keep our averages up to feed many of the dogs of homeless folks here in Tucson. Those pups probably tip the scales at 50 lbs.

We’re doing it now and we want to keep on doing it … Right?   

See you Sunday,

Peter