NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (AP) - Susan Kubart arrives at a storage locker complex off South Willow Street - the home of the North Platte Pet Food Pantry - around 5 p.m. every Monday night.
While it’s an hour before the doors of the locker officially open, it is not uncommon for Kubart to find people waiting to get assistance for their animals.
“A lot of times there is already a line (of vehicles) when I get here,” said Kubart, the pantry spokesperson and one of the founders.
The demand for the pantry has escalated over the past two months, with 104 individuals or families seeking assistance for the pets in both October and November, according to The North Platte Telegraph.
That is an increase of about 30 more than the pantry’s average over the spring and summer months.
In November alone, the pantry distributed about 5,000 pounds of dog food and 3,000 pounds of cat food.
The pantry, which is open from 6 to 6:30 p.m. each Monday, is a collaboration between Paws-itive Partners and Fur the Love of Paws. It has been operational since 2013 and Kubart said the rules for service have been relaxed a bit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Individuals typically are required to have had their pets neutered or spayed or at least be working toward having it done.
Record systems are pretty basic at the pantry itself. The roughly 12-by-30-foot storage locker has no power, heat or air conditioning, and the volunteers use flashlights or portable battery-powered lights inside.
A volunteer will approach a vehicle that pulls up to the locker and write down the individual’s information and needs on a sheet of paper. The questions include the number of dogs and cats they have and the breeds. The information acts as a shopping list for the volunteer who collects bags of pet food and places them in the individual’s vehicle.
The pantry - which serves residents in North Platte and the surrounding areas - also has pet treats, bowls, beds, collars, carriers and toys for individuals to take if needed.
Kubart said the pantry tries to give enough pet food to last people at least through their next paycheck. The traditional rule has been that people are allowed one visit to the pantry per month, but that rule has been relaxed during the pandemic.
“We want to help as many people as we can,” Kubart said. “We don’t want to turn anybody down.”
Kubart said four volunteers are regular fixtures at the pantry, and another six assist and contribute as their schedules allow.
Once a week, a volunteer drives to the Walmart Distribution Center, which donates pet food, including damaged bags, to the pantry.
While the distribution center is the main contributor, Kubart said the pantry also relies on financial and product donations from local businesses and individuals.
Shortly after the pantry doors opened Monday, a couple stopped to donate bags of dog food as well as a container after they recently lost their pet.
“We rely on every contribution that we get and it is appreciated,” Kubart said.
The need for the pantry has grown in the seven years since it has been open.
“We have people who will come in and tell us that they will go without food before they let their pets” go without, Kubart said. “We are here to help people provide for their pets. That’s important to people and I think that’s even more the case right now.
“(Pets) are such a source of support and comfort to people. If they feel they are able to provide for their pets’ basic needs, it might help them feel a little bit better with everything else that is going on right now. Maybe it will give them a little more peace in their own lives.”
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