Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

This wasn’t a difficult decision, I thought when considering if the Dr. John P. Ruffing Pet Food Pantry could help members of the the Guild facing their third holiday season on strike. Technically, it is month 26, the longest ongoing strike in the United States.

Our pet food pantry was created to fill gaps in services – we began by distributing food to cat colony caretakers. We’ve expanded to some moderate incomer pet owners.

This was in my head when I asked Steve Mellon, striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette employee and chair of the Guild’s Health and Welfare Committee if any members had pets. Turns out, they do. And that’s clearly a gap our little pantry can address.

With your help, of course.

Let’s get the specifics laid out so you can click to your preferred mode of donation.

PLC appeals to every pet owner, especially those in union families, to consider a donation.

Donations of dog and cat good, both dry and canned are welcome. The project has a wishlist at bit.ly/TheRuffList 

Drop off locations for pet food donations

• US Steel Workers lobby 60 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
• 1213 W. North Avenue (some steps) Manchester 15233
• 1440 Faulsey Way (backyard address)  Manchester 15233
•  Look for the yellow #PghCatFolx sign and the patio bin to secure your donation.

Financial donations are also welcome. 

• GoFundMe bit.ly/GivePghCatFolx
• Venmo  @ PittsburghLGBTQ   
• Paypal.me/PittsburghLGBTQ 
• Checks can be made payable to Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities and mailed to 1439 W. North Avenue Pittsburgh PA  15233. Please write pet food in the memo section.

The drive continues into January 2025. Eligible caretakers can register at anytime via bit.ly/PetFolxPetFoodPantry 

Representatives of Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities and the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh are available for comment. Social dogs available for on camera appearances and being petted for snacks.

People love their pets and will go to extremes to provide basics like food. Pet food prices have been as much a victim of inflation as any other consumer good with increases ranging from 14-44% across all pet foods. Rising costs of raw ingredients, labor costs, market pivots to higher end products at the expense of mid-range foods have played a part. The potential impact of new tariffs, especially on raw ingredients, could be devastating.

My experience of late has been discouraging. I search for reasonably priced items to add to the pantry wish list, but it is a struggle to find dry food under $20 for even a very small bag. I buy very low end, large bags of food for the feral community cats and mix it with more appealing smaller bags to balance nutrition with taste and calories they need to endure the winter.

When we tighten our belts, we can explain to the humans, big and small, why we have to eat things we don’t love. Try telling a cat.

The pantry will continue to support the striking pet owners as long as we can. It is a simple way to show our support for neighbors fighting to bring back our Pittsburgh values to one of America’s great newspapers.

I have personally reached out to every labor local and council I could identify in the region, asking them to show up with a donation of any size. There are pet owners in every single union. I hope this resonates with them.

Let’s do this …