The Colorado Pet Pantry opened its doors 11 years ago with a dream to help keep pets with their families by offering pet food to families in need. The nonprofit is hosting an auction full of experiences to continue doing its good work.
The Colorado Pet Pantry has 103 locations across the state including one in Longmont. The nonprofit works with other organizations to distribute pet food. In Longmont, that organization is the OUR Center. On the third Tuesday of each month, the Colorado Pet Pantry visits the OUR Center to distribute pet food.
“We are just supplementary. It won’t cover all of their food needs but it helps,” said Eileen Lamber, founder and executive director of the Colorado Pet Pantry.
By 2023, the nonprofit will have distributed more than 9 million meals to pets across the state, helping more than 45,000 people feed their pets at least a month’s worth of food, Lambert said.
The online auction has about 100 experiences for people to bid on, Lambert said. The auction will end on Sunday.
Items up for bid include sponsorship of a family or pet, a Brekenridge Mountain Escape, tickets to the Colorado Symphony and more.
Auction proceeds go toward the organization’s operations. Staff work to find pet food that has been returned to the store, dropped off at donation locations or rescued from pet food stores.
The cost of pet food has increased more than 40% in the past four years, Lambert said. Through the Colorado Pet Pantry and its affiliates, it costs about $5 to provide a 30-day supply of food for a pet.
“The cost of pet food and the cost of feeding your animals is getting more expensive, so we want to help people if they’re struggling to feed their pets,” Lambert said.
