Food donations desperately needed at local animal shelter

Adams County Pet Rescue seems to suddenly be overrun with new puppies. Just two weekends ago, they took in 17 of the little ones, most of which are still being nursed by their mothers as they were only 3 weeks old when they came in.

Once they are old enough to eat on their own, the shelter is concerned with what they will feed them. For the first time ever, they have found themselves out of canned puppy food. And that’s not all. They are also low on other types of food they require on a daily basis, such as kitten and cat food and dog food.

For those who find it in their hearts to donate, there are a few simple ways to do that. Food and other pet supplies can be dropped off at the shelter any day of the week. They are typically closed on Mondays and Thursdays, but staff is still available there to take donations.

There is a spot on the ACPR website where people can sign up to make regular monthly donations. You can specify how much your donation will be each month, or simply mail in a check. All the information is there.

Also, to make things even easier, there is a link on the website to take donors to the shelter’s AmazonSmile wish list. Items can be sent directly to ACPR and the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5 percent of the purchase price back to Pet Rescue. Simple, easy and tax deductible.

More than 1 million eligible charitable organizations are registered with the program. For more information and complete program details, go to smile.amazon.com.

Anita Plancarte, staff member at ACPR, said the shelter uses any brand of canned puppy or adult food, especially ProPlan, Purina, Cosco or Pedigree. With kittens, however, they prefer either Friskies or a brand from Petco or PetSmart.

“There is less explosive diarrhea,” Plancarte said. “It sits better on their stomachs.”

For adult cats, any brand will do, she said.

The staff prefers Nature’s Domain or Purina ProPlan for dry dog food. Diamond is also a recommended brand if it is lamb or beef.

Of course, food is not the only thing the shelter needs. They use toys, crates, leashes, sweaters and bowls.

You can also volunteer your time. The staff can always use help with laundry, dishes, cleaning cages, etc. They also need help walking the dogs and socializing the animals in their care.

Unfortunately, the number of dogs and cats in their care continues to rise, even with adoptions. That is why donations are so important. The staff at ACPR appreciates any help given.

“For a small town, this is one of the best animal shelters we could ask for,” Ken Simmons, ACPR board member, wrote on Facebook. “It is a non-profit operation, so it depends on help from the community.”

Adams County Pet Rescue is located at 1961 Bench Road, east of the fairgrounds. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The facility is closed Mondays and Thursdays for cleaning. To contact ACPR, call (509) 488-5514 or email adopt@AdamsCountyPetRescue. Be sure to visit the website at www.adamscountypetrescue.com and like their Facebook page.