New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE-Sag Harbor) announced that his Pet Food Drive Challenge, in association with Long Island Cares’ Baxter’s Pet Pantry, ended on April 30th. This drive, which ran for two months, focused on collecting food for pets vulnerable to hunger, including dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, caged pets, fish, reptiles and all others we consider our family members.

Assemblyman Thiele stated, “Struggling families are often choosing between heating their homes, buying medications, or putting food on their tables. In addition, funding from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) does not include the purchase of pet food. Ultimately, beloved pets end up in shelters or are given away simply because their families can no longer afford to feed them. The purpose of this drive was to help alleviate some financial pressure and keep Long Island pets out of shelters and with their families.”

Donations will be distributed throughout Suffolk and Nassau counties to nearly 600 member agencies of Long Island Cares.

Baxter’s Pet Pantry was established in 2009 to assist families who might be having difficulty feeding their beloved pets and to avoid placing those family pets in a shelter as a result of these challenges. They have distributed over one million pounds of pet food.