The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank

It was back in January when we began the year with puppies in a box. There were four of them, all little girls just a few weeks old. Tucked tight next to their exhausted Mom Freya. A Mom that was only 14 months old. Really still just a puppy herself. All were living inside a small cardboard box, the property of a homeless couple that took them along as they stood on a bridge onramp asking for money. And sometimes they got loose and ran onto the bridge as cars zoomed by. That is where we found them. They were filthy and hungry and sad.

But the sad stories were quickly left behind as all received full vet exams, vaccinations and were spayed. And each one of those puppies found new homes. And so did Freya. She now leads a life of luxury, spending her days going on long walks and eating like a queen. She goes to daycare, gets massage, plays with BFF’s and has more beds and blankets than anyone can possibly count. She hit the jackpot. But so did her new Mom. Because Freya is awesome!

Your donations for the Freya Scholarship Fund helped us provide the lifesaving care this little family needed. Food, medical and more. And thanks to you they’re all doing fantastic. Just take a look at the photo of Freya, sunning in her backyard. A real backyard. Not a cardboard box. From where she was to where she is…it’s a world of difference. Doesn’t every animal deserve that?

We’ve quietly rescued many more since then. And our Freya Fund is now depleted. Please consider a donation to help us build that fund back up so we can continue to step in and save the lives of those little innocents when they need us most. Because you know they would do it for you. Even better, every single Global Giving donation until December 31 will be matched by a generous Pongo donor. Won't you please help?

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org

Links:

• The Pongo Fund marks 4th Anniversary

Sometimes cranky people are cranky only because they hurt. Sore neck, aching back, bum hip, bad knee, impacted tooth, infected ear, broken dentures, sinus infection. Even just a mild headache that has ached for days and still aches because a small bottle of ibuprofen is $3.00 more than they currently have in their pocket.

Paul is that sort of cranky person. He’s new to Portland, a United States Veteran, and he carries some wounds with him. Wounds that he carries both inside and out. Paul has a service dog named Henry and Henry needed food. Paul did too, but he told his caseworker that he was more concerned about Henry. So Paul’s caseworker called The Pongo Fund because we had been added to a list of resources exactly for times like this.

Paul’s caseworker said the Resource List is their Bible, the place they turn for help in solving the problems they don’t always know how to solve otherwise. Helping disabled veterans feed their dogs is one of those problems. But just because a name is on the Resource List doesn’t mean it will always be the right resource. But in this case there were five stars *****  next to the words “Pongo Fund.” And the caseworker said that when you’re helping Military Veterans and you see five stars, you know that’s going to be a great resource.

We got the information we needed to dispatch our Emergency Kibble Response Team. With one last warning from the caseworker. He said Paul was pretty much cranky all of the time. He just wanted us to know that.

We met Paul and Paul was cranky. But then Henry jumped up on his lap, licked his face and Paul giggled like Cindy Brady. A proud man. A proud man in pain. Pain that came from serving our Country. And deeply embarrassed that he needed our help. But Henry was not embarrassed.

We think Henry’s primary role as a service dog was to lick Paul’s face and turn his frown into a smile. Because that’s what we saw. And Henry did it so well that we knew he was well practiced at it.

There were many questions we wanted to ask, many conversations we wanted to have. But our job was to deliver the food and get on our way. To let Paul and Henry get back to their day. So we said our goodbyes and exited.

A few days later there was a note waiting for us at The Pongo Fund. It was just three words, a simple thank you from Paul. How he managed to carry himself with all his hurts to our door to leave us a note is something we’ll never know. But he did. And this is why we Pongo.

Links:

• http://thepongofund.org