Pre-veterinary club donates over 1,000 pounds of pet food to local shelters

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Santa came a little early to the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society and Jonesboro Animal Services.

The Pre-Veterinary Club at Arkansas State University recently dropped off more than 1,000 pounds of pet food to the two programs.

The club started the pet food drive during the government shutdown when Dr. Wynne DiGrassie, associate dean for clinical programs with the College of Veterinary Medicine, saw a social media post about the need.

Front:) Amber Cisneros, sophomore animal science pre-veterinary major from Hope; Abby Cooper,... — Front:) Amber Cisneros, sophomore animal science pre-veterinary major from Hope; Abby Cooper, a sophomore animal science pre-veterinary major from Glen Rose; Jessica Henry, a sophomore animal science pre-veterinary major from Poplar Bluff; Davis McGrath, a sophomore animal science pre-veterinary major from Bentonville; Amy Schmidt, administrative director at NEAHS; (standing) Dr. Wynne DiGrassie, associate dean for clinical programs with the College of Veterinary Medicine; Mike Owens, rescue and adoption coordinator at JAS; Kayleigh England, administrative assistant at JAS; and Dr. Jerica Rich, associate professor of animal science.(Arkansas State University)

“As soon as I knew about the government shutdown and SNAP benefits being cut, the first thing I thought was, has anyone really thought about the animals and how they are going to be fed?” DiGrassie said.

The club collected both wet and dry cat and dog food, as well as treats, supplements and toys. According to a Tuesday news release, more than 70 toys were made from T-shirts donated by club members.

“This is what community is, and it feels so heartwarming to see that everyone came together,” said Amber Cisneros, a sophomore animal science pre-vet major from Hope and a member of the Pre-Veterinary Club.

Representatives from NEAHS and JAS said they were happy to receive the donations.

“We have a lot of people who come in and need food for their pets,” said Mike Owens, rescue and adoption coordinator for JAS. “Times are hard right now, so we’ll give them as much food as we can.”

Amy Schmidt, administrative director of NEAHS, said they received calls from people worried about feeding their pets who were afraid they might have to surrender them.

“These were family pets that were really loved. When we were asked, ‘What do you need?’ I just said that we needed food for the food pantry,” Schmidt said. “That’s the amazing thing about being part of this community. You don’t always have to ask; someone will ask what you need.”

Although the club’s pet food drive is over, donations can still be made at JAS or NEAHS. For more information, call JAS at 870-935-3920 or NEAHS at 870-932-5185.

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