Did You Know The John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry Has a Newsletter? Here’s How to Subscribe

pet food pantry newsletter

We call it ‘Tails From the Backyard’ – first issue went out in December. In red and green envelopes no less. Our target audience are the people who live close to the pantry and the Fort Faulsey cat colony in Manchester. But the information is useful across the Northside and beyond …. If you would […]

Pet Food Pantry Registers Ten New Households

Pet Food Pantry Pittsburgh

Yesterday, we restocked the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry with recent donations and strategized on the January distribution. We continue to believe that inflation is impacting our pantry households and potential donors. We’ve added ten households – six members of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh who are on strike from the Pittsburgh […]

Update on Winter Pet Food Drive – After the Reindeer Are Fed, Remember the Cats and Dogs

We urgently need dry dog and cat food The Winter Holiday Pet Food Drive is underway. We are supporting the striking pet owners of the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh along with our colony caretakers and modest income pet owners. Scroll down for donation information. We have 68 households registered caring for over 700 animals. Each […]

Community Group Partners with Striking Post-Gazette Workers on Pet Food Drive

New Guild of Pittsburgh holiday logo

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 […]

This is My Appeal Post

This is the post where I confuse you with my various appeals. On a personal note, I still have a GoFundMe to help with my ongoing legal expenses and my personal expenses. Quite a bit of my great reduced income goes to this blog. Income from advertising is limited and scratches only the surface. I […]

She Donated Cat Dental Treats for Each Colony Caretaker

Amy has been my friend since at least 1974 when we both started kindergarten. She shared her home with a cat, a dog, and a granddog on occasion. She saw my post about the holiday pet food drive and responded. Her donation included a bag of dental treats for each of our households. What a […]

Donate Your Nativity and Holiday Decorations to Make a Statement

Holiday nativity scene

In 2022, I decided to create a Nativity Scene also known as a créche in front of my home. The objective was to raise awareness of Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities projects. People stopped. Back up a bit to 2019. My friend Sarah gifted me with a large plastic Jesus, Mary, and Joseph outdoor set. She had […]

Urgently Need Volunteer to Help Us Build Our Shed

Shed to help cats

Getting Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities (PLC) to a healthy place after my year’s absence has been hard and here is how you can volunteer to help. Handyperson – Help Us Build Our Shed A shed was donated to us, but lack of folx to assemble meant we spent $2700 storing it (and other things.) Last month, […]

Mx. Pajamas, Snow Cat

That One Time a Friend Lent Me a Land Rover

Being without a vehicle has been tough. I joined ZipCar, the nearest station is only .5 miles from my home. But it is pricey. I attempted the bus, but my PTSD has been a barrier. Same holds true for ride shares. A lovely group of folx have been offering me rides or handling chores that […]