James and I have always believed that the best companies are the ones that make giving a priority. Being animal lovers, we knew from the very beginning that we wanted Scout to be a great platform that facilitates better care for our furry friends. But we also wanted to be a company that gives back and supports the communities that we’re part of. Each quarter Scout chooses a 501c-3 charity and donates 10% of our revenue. This quarter we have partnered with Colorado Pet Pantry who are doing amazing work in their community.
Helping to Keep Families Together
When communities experience hard economic times, animal shelters become overwhelmed with surrendered pets. The ability for families to afford food for their pets is a major contributor to overcrowded shelters. Families facing economic hardships care deeply for their pets, and surrendering them causes a tremendous amount of emotional distress. That's where Colorado Pet Pantry steps in. They provide pet food resources to help families stay together during difficult times.
Over the last four years, Colorado Pet Pantry has expanded from one to eight standard open food banks and four specialized “mini-banks” in the Denver-Boulder metro area. This year their goal is to help feed over eleven thousand pets in need. Human food banks and local shelters are the family's first stop when they are in need, but they lack the infrastructure to store and distribute pet food to the public. Colorado Pet Pantry partners with these organizations to provide warehouse and storage facilities which allow these organizations to expand and offer food for the whole family.
The Share Program
Their newest "Share Program" helps families with non-food donated items such as dog crates and cat scratching posts. Often these items find their way to the pantry, and while they have been grateful for the support, fitting these items in vehicles alongside half a ton of food is nearly impossible. Now the Share Program has an office where various rescue groups can pick items up directly. As a result, donated items will always find a home and use, even if they don't make it to the food banks.
Colorado Pet Pantry has been able to offer support to individual families, animals shelters and several animal rescue organizations in the Denver-Boulder area. The ripple effect of pet food banks extends far into the community to make a positive difference in human and pet lives.
If you would like to volunteer or donate directly to Colorado Pet Pantry, you can find more information here and follow them on Facebook to get updates on projects and current events.