ARTICLE
The Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA) will be holding its next drive-thru pet food pantry to help families in need on Monday, September 21, at the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ Frawley Stadium (801 Shipyard Drive). Free cat and dog food will be available while supplies last. This is the organization’s tenth drive-thru pantry held across Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, each one feeding 800 or more pets. The drive-thru format requires participants to arrive in a vehicle, where they should remain while BVSPCA staff requests, from a 6-foot distance, information on the household pets then loads the pet food into the trunk or hatchback. The pantries are part of the BVSPCA’s ongoing commitment to help prevent families from needing to surrender their beloved pets to a shelter for economic reasons. “The number of families facing sudden job loss during the pandemic is heartbreaking,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “We want to play a small part in helping by alleviating the financial pressures of caring for the furry family members they love so much.” “This continues to be a difficult time for everyone, but it’s important that we don’t overlook our pets as we grapple with the many changes brought on by this global pandemic, said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “The Brandywine Valley SPCA is doing tremendous work on behalf of animals and their families, and as always, I urge everyone to continue to support these efforts.” Since the start of the pandemic, the Brandywine Valley SPCA has distributed more than 200,000 pounds of pet food to families in need and sent several truckloads of pet food to other shelters for their pantries. In addition to the drive-thru pantries, the BVSPCA has expanded its standard pet food pantry to be accessible anytime during shelter open hours: Tuesday-Friday 12pm-7pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-5pm. Donations to help the BVSPCA continue to supply pet food to families in need can be made at the shelters or via the Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.to/3hxjI1T About the Brandywine Valley SPCA Founded in 1929, the Brandywine Valley SPCA is the first open admission no-kill shelter in Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 2019, the BVSPCA cared for more than 14,000 stray, owner-surrendered, wayward owned, and abused and neglected animals while achieving a 96% live release rate. The BVSPCA provides animal protective services for Chester County and much of Delaware County in Pennsylvania, and it holds a five-year contract with the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare to provide state-wide animal services for dogs. Animals are placed through four adoption centers: Dover Campus, Georgetown Campus, New Castle Campus, and West Chester Campus. In addition, the BVSPCA provides families with safety net and low-cost veterinary services at its four clinic locations: the Malvern Animal Health Center, the New Castle Animal Health Center, and the Georgetown Animal Health Center. The BVSPCA also operates the Animal Rescue Center (ARC), a facility dedicated to helping animals with additional needs prior to being ready for adoption, such as cruelty cases, disaster victims, and infants. bvspca.org.