The Marin Humane Society is holding a pet food drive and hopes to gather more donations of pet food, toys, treats and other supplies for their Special Human-Animal Relationships, or SHARE, program clients before the end of the year, spokesman John Reese said.
Food, supplies, pet store gift cards and other financial donations are accepted year-round, but during the holidays, Reese said, "people are in the giving mood."
The program works with "people shelters" such as the Novato Human Needs Center, which connects the humane society with low-income residents who are pet owners, Reese said.
The program benefits many seniors and low-income residents, with 232 low-income seniors part of the program along with their more than 300 companion animals.
Reese said having a pet is a "fairly big expense" for low-income and elderly residents, but the animals are an "important part of their lives" for people that are "down and out in a lot of ways" and "may not have a social or family support network."
He said for many seniors and their animals, the humane society's help "allows them to stay together."
Donations of bags of dried food, cans of all formulas and sizes, and bags of litter go directly to less fortunate cats and dogs, he said.
Supplies for other types of animals such as rabbits and birds are also accepted, he said.
There are donation bins set up in the Marin Humane Society lobby, located at 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. in Novato, and donations can also delivered to any Pet Food Express store, which has five locations in Marin County.
More information about giving to the pets is available at marinhumanesociety.org.
