Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and the CEO of the Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA), Adam Lamb, today invited pet owners to a FREE drive-thru pantry event to be held on Thursday, May 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Wilmington (DE): The free one day event will be in the parking lot at Frawley Stadium, at 801 Shipyard Drive in Wilmington. The drive-thru format requires participants to arrive in a vehicle, where they should remain while BVSPCA staff requests, from a 6-foot distance, information on the household pets then loads the pet food into the trunk or hatchback.
Food will be available for cats and dogs while supplies last.
Food storage and transport have been generously provided by Downingtown, Pa.-based Terra Technical Services, along with collaboration on pantry logistics.
“Wilmington cares very much about animals and their owners, so we are very happy to co-sponsor this free drive-thru pantry event to help make sure that everyone’s companion animal can be properly fed during the current COVID-19 crisis,” said Mayor Purzycki. “This is a difficult time for everyone, of course, but we want to make sure that our pets don’t get overlooked in the daily struggle to adjust to the changes we’ve had to make in our daily routines. The Brandywine Valley SPCA does a tremendous amount of work regarding pet care, adoption, and education, and I hope everyone continues supporting their efforts.”
“No one should ever have to give up the cat or dog they love simply because they can’t afford food,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “With the unprecedented spike in unemployment during this pandemic, we want to be sure that families financially impacted can keep their pets by their side during this stressful time.”
“Our community continues to come together in a time of great need, and the Blue Rocks are very proud of our role in that process,” said Andrew Layman, General Manager of the 2019 Carolina League Champion Blue Rocks. “Anything we can do to assist in the prevention of suffering for anyone or anything is our top priority, and this event is going to help a lot of wonderful pets and their families. We are grateful to all who can help as well as the Brandywine Valley SPCA for the hard work they’ve poured into this to make it possible.”
“Riverfront Wilmington is thrilled to work with the Brandywine Valley SPCA on this event,” said Joe Valenti, Marketing Manager of the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware. “During this difficult time, we are proud to do what we can to help pet owners provide for their animals, as well as keep as many pets out of shelters as possible.”
The Brandywine Valley SPCA has held four drive-thru pet food pantries to date, helping nearly 1,000 families. Since the start of the pandemic, BVSPCA has distributed more than more 60,000 pounds of pet food to families in need and sent five truckloads of pet food to other shelters for their pantries.
In addition to the drive-thru pantries, the BVSPCA has expanded its standard pet food pantry to be accessible anytime during shelter open hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Donations to help the BVSPCA continue to supply pet food to families in need.
