We don’t know what lies ahead. We won’t give you platitudes about resiliency or inner strength or toughness even though we think those are true. What we can give you is reassurance that you are not alone.
The Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry supports neighbors taking care of animals – community cats, rescues, and pets. We have 60 colony caretakers and households registered. 40 are active. Since October. We distribute food monthly when we have donations on hand.
It’s important to remember that we support the people, our neighbors who do important work but sometimes need a hand. Obviously, the animals benefit, but this is about the humans. Our neighbors who still, who always, deserve our respect, support, and encouragement.
Sharing Economy
First, part of this fits into the ‘Sharing Economy’ concept – folx pass along their gently used or excess pet stuff (and food). These items will circulate locally to folx who truly need (or want) them. It is a solid option if you have items from beloved pets that you’d like to share with intent. Some people prefer that option.
We work with free stores, ‘buy not a thing’ groups, and other redistribution efforts to source as much as we can.
Conversely, we believe taking care of community cats and urban wildlife is a shared responsibility. Everyone benefits from a stable, healthy cat colony. Nobody benefits by killing wildlife to protect a garden or flower bed. Everyone benefits from good information and solid resources to learn to coexist.
We also pass along donated items we can’t use through ‘buy not a thing’ groups.
How to help –> donate your excess pet supplies
Environmental Impact
This also has a positive impact on the environment. We reduce waste. We take care of homeless domestic animals who are then not forced to forage. We also reduce future generations of homeless domestic animals by spaying/neutering them. Cat folx will put a reusable dish (like a takeaway clamshell) through many uses until it is ready to be recycled. Or put to another use. TNR’d cats are less destructive to wildlife. Most of us work with wildlife rescuers to help the groundhogs, raccoons, possum, etc.
How to help –> donate your landfill bound extras – paper plates? Takeout containers? Plant a distraction garden.
Connections, Communications, and Community Building
We are community builders. Oftentimes rescuers and colony caretakers might keep to themselves either due to personal preference or to protect their charges. ‘Safe’ connections through pet food distribution or clinics forges some connection. Our pantry recipients who drive will willingly deliver distributions to their neighbors, making another connection. Bringing food is always a good idea to start a relationship.
If someone suddenly doesn’t show up, we go looking. We create content to connect with neighbors in our community, to educate and inform. Our pantry has started a hyper local paper newsletter sent through the mail to our immediate neighbors.
How to help –> volunteer to drive food to your neighbors, share information, if you see a neighbor feeding cats ask about their efforts
The Economic Impact
Let’s talk economics. Pet food prices have risen. Right now the best price we can find is about $1/lb (yesssss – Costco) and $.95/can. We typically give each caretaker 12-15 pounds per month plus 20 cans and some treats if available. While 60+ households are registered, about 40 caretakers are active. That’s a minimum of $480 retail for dry and $400 canned. Not counting treats, supplies, special diets, etc.
Too many people do not have enough food for their pets and colonies, their beloved companions and charges. One woman collects bits of meat from her own food pantry package and cooks it for her cats. Others feed every other day. Some clip coupons, shop deals, spend hours to afford to feed their cats. They also get their critters to the vet, they spay & neuter, they make real sacrifices because they love these animals and because they no that nobody else will step in.
The bit we provide means the one woman eats her own source of protein. Oblivious statements about not adopting animals you can’t care for are unacceptable. Dumping animals in already overcrowded shelters is a horrible decision. Stopping the care of a colony creates heartbreaking and devastating impacts as they start looking for food everywhere else nearby.
How to help –> buy & donate pet food, clip & donate coupons.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We deliberately use the term ‘cat folx’ to challenge biased tropes about who exactly is doing this work. It is not just white middle aged suburban cishet women. Our caretakers represent all of the neighborhoods – racially, by gender, by age, by ethnicity.
The short version is that cats in urban Pittsburgh during the late 19th and early 20th century were part of the households, providing vermin and pest control. They had a working relationship with housewives (mainly) that benefited everyone. This included Black and other BIPOC housewives. I can trace my colony back through a Black woman born in 1920 here on the Northside of Pittsburgh – an entire century. My Seneca educator friend Lee has helped me explore the role of cats within Indigenous communities who were part of the lands we know as Pittsburgh.
These are important, real stories. They should be told to break down stereotypes and lift up the important, significant relationships between Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities of color and urban animals. Sharing those stories is revolutionary. They will change the way we look at our communities historical relationship with nature.
How to help –> decolonize your mind about ethnicity & race with regard to animals of any sort
Partnering with Labor
Just because you are in a union does not mean you have huge wages to buy pet food. Striking workers face terrible choices and losing a beloved family member shouldn’t be one of them. We are now actively partnering with Pittsburgh unions to support members with their colonies and family pets.
Teaming up with labor movements reminds us that working class, middle class, and modest income class households have a lot in common. That’s a defiant response to oligarchy.
We are proud that the IBEW was our first union donor.
How to help –> invite your union to make a $$ donation or organize a pet food drive
Filling Gaps
Most of our folx fall through existing support cracks. Community cat caretakers are often not eligible for pet food pantries. Traditional human food pantries might not have pet food in their community. People without cars cannot easily get to distributions on the other side of town.
How to help –> learn about pet food resources in your community, encourage local human pantries to add pet food, urge local stores to donate what they can, help neighbors in need connect to resources
How are we resisting?
We fill that gap of who can access pet food. We are new and small so we can’t feed the world, but we believe that we should and will continue to strive.
We believe our neighbors who care for animals are doing important work, they deserve to have their own needs met with dignity and gratitude.
We will continue to show up with information, awareness, facts, examples, and stories to help break down the barriers our neighbors have created to keep the animals away.
We know that a community can change the world. If everyone who lived within a three block radius of our pet food pantry were to donate $5/month, we’d revolutionize thanks to economies of scale and access to resources like clinics, etc.
We’ve already collectively changed that three block radius by stabilizing the homeless cat population. No kittens for several years.
This is what a friend describes as a ‘Community of Care’ evolving each day to support one another. It is a model that can be replicated. It is where ‘growth’ is not limited to households served, but also includes our relationships to each other.
How to help –>
Use our wishlist to donate food or send from your vendor of choice bit.ly/TheRuffList
Organize a pet food drive in your neighborhood, at school, place of worship, scouts, among your family.
Donate pet food & items directly via three drop-off spots
Donations can be dropped at these locations.
- US Steel Workers lobby 60 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
- 1213 W. North Avenue Pgh 15233. Some steps. Food can go in the bin on the porch.
- 1440 Faulsey Way Pgh 15233 Backyard address near intersection of Faulsey Way and Blake Way. Food can also go in the bin with the yellow sign.
- Contact us directly to make other arrangements.
Make a financial donation
Volunteer –> Fill out our form
If you’d like to join our pantry, you’ll fill out this form.
Start your own pantry! We’ll help.
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