Local nonprofit providing pet food is bringing ‘Santa Claws’ to town

Mark Michaels’ journey to philanthropy began when a cat jumped into the backseat of his car in Buffalo, New York.

The cat, who would eventually be named “Mush,” had managed to hitch a ride in a neighbor’s U-Haul from Niagara Falls to Buffalo.

After being deemed a stray, the feline friend became inseparable from Michaels for 14 years. The pair moved to central Ohio together, where they lived until Christmas Eve in 2023, when Mush died.

Michaels wanted to find a way to help cope with the loss, pay homage to his best friend and give back to the community.

In early January 2024, a few weeks after Mush died, Michaels saw the cat’s still-full food bowl. He wondered if he could use the idea to give back and began reaching out to animal shelters to ask to help them source donations.

Within months, Mush’s Bottomless Bowl (MBB) gained nonprofit distinction and made its first donation on May 21, 2024 — Mush’s birthday.

Michaels, working with his sister and his girlfriend, managed to source and donate over 2,000 pounds of food in the first year.

“That’s just so incredibly rewarding just to see that there is so much need in the community. We definitely want to do more year after year.”

From the first local partner, the Ark of Redemption Cat Rescue in Columbus to building relationships with Colony Cats (& dogs), Columbus Pet Rescue, Cozy Cat Cottage Adoption Center and more, Mush’s Bottomless Bowl donated over 11,000 pounds of food in its second year. As of Nov. 20, it still had more events to go.

“They are filling a huge gap in for rescues all over Central Ohio. Donations have been down for quite some time with people tightening their budgets and their wallets, which is totally understandable,” said Jessica Williams, Ark of Redemption’s shelter director.

“I know not just for us, but for a lot of rescues in general, they have been able to fill such a gap and help so, so many animals. I know we could not be more thankful. And I imagine a lot of rescues feel the same.”

Operation Santa Claws 2

MBB wrapped up the first year with a “Santa Claws” toy drive to donate holiday treats and toys to dogs and cats in central Ohio shelters.

Now, the end-of-year fun for furry friends is back.

The group launched “Operation Santa Claws 2” to resume and grow the holiday program.

From Dec. 1 through Dec. 17, the group will accept new toys and treats for the shelter animals. Donations are accepted at Spires Social Brewing Co. in Columbus and Getaway Brewing Co. in Dublin.

“I think the biggest impact for me has been really, you know, being able to celebrate a life. As much as we’ve been able to do for Mush’s Bottomless Bowl, sometimes I would trade it all for one more day,” Michaels said. “There is that kind of closure.”

With an initial mission to help pet food shelters, Michaels said he would eventually love to expand into helping pet owners who are experiencing mental health or financial difficulties.

Michaels said he is building a network of resources that could help people considering giving up a pet or looking for a mental health companion animal.

“There’s a lot going on in the world, and we can help so that they don’t have to surrender our pet,” he said. “. . . If they have pets, I don’t want them having to make a tough decision of, do I go and help myself? But then I can’t feed my dog or cat.”

This article was made possible by support from the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation, which has partnered with The Columbus Dispatch to profile those making our community a better place. Help us inspire kindness by suggesting people, initiatives or organizations for Reporter Sophia Veneziano to profile. She can be reached at [email protected]. Learn more at Dispatch.com/Kindness. The Dispatch retains full editorial independence for all content.

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