BAMBERG — A truck carrying 26 pallets of donated pet food and supplies arrived in Bamberg as part of a national alliance between the Humane Society of the United States and Chewy Inc., an online retailer of pet food and other pet related products.
Ruthie Rish, executive director of the Mary Ann Morris Animal Shelter (MAMAS), and Bamberg County Animal Control applied for the grant last year.
Pallets of donated pet food and supplies arrived in Bamberg last week as part of an alliance between the Humane Society of the United States a…
According to HSUS SC State Director Janell Gregory, Bamberg is the third 2024 Chewy Truck recipient in the state.
Chewy provided the supplies and food, and HSUS paid for the associated shipping costs and coordinated the deliveries. In this particular instance, Bamberg County leaders are partnering with the Bamberg County Office on Aging to distribute pet products to elderly pet owners.
Animal Control Officer Ginny Mitchell, Rish, Bamberg Litter Control Officer Pharrell Pulaski and Bamberg City Animal Control representative Jonathan Edgemon were on site to accept the products.
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Gregory said, “The HSUS and Chewy partnership is designed to help keep pets in homes. This program was started during the COVID era to help families struggling to provide for their pets, especially in marginalized communities. At the end of the pandemic, many pet owners were faced with giving up their pets due to a lack of resources, so this program was created to help provide those resources and keep the pets in the homes where they belong.
Last year, HSUS brought more than $2 million in donations to South Carolina through the program, he said. HSUS SC has worked with more than 20 different partners from every region of South Carolina to ensure that as many communities as possible are served.
Bamberg Office on Aging Executive Director Kay Clary was delighted that Bamberg was chosen to receive the donation. “This is a great opportunity for so many people in Bamberg County. We serve many pet owners and have volunteers who feed many of these animals during the week. With inflation, it has become more difficult to feed these pets, and the Humane Society and Chewy donations are greatly needed and appreciated. I’m excited to start it.”
Bamberg County Council Chairman Evert Comer Jr. said, “Bamberg County extends our heartfelt thanks to the Humane Society and Chewy for their generous donation of 26 pallets of animal food. Their support is invaluable in helping us care for and feed our furry friends. We are grateful for this positive impact on the welfare of animals in need.”
“This is an important service because our pets are an important part of our families, and Chewy pet products help keep many Bamberg families together. We are very grateful to everyone involved in this project,” said County Administrator Joey Preston.
