SFAS News:Federal employees who are going without a paycheck and have dogs or cats at home can pick up free food from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.
“We’re honored to extend a helping hand to our friends and neighbors who are federal employees and have been impacted by this government shutdown,” said Murad Kirdar, the public relations officer for the shelter. “We see their dedication to our country, and we’re proud to not only help our community members but their pets as well.”
The privately owned shelter will offer free food to federal employees, who can pick up the food at the main shelter’s campus, located at 100 Caja Del Rio Road in Santa Fe. A federal identification card will be needed, and the dog and cat food will be available while supplies last.
Community supporters who would like to donate and help support the shelter with this program can do so by visiting their website, or by dropping off donations at the shelter. An Amazon wish list for individuals who’d like to purchase items can be found here.
The shelter wants to minimize the chance that government employees would need to give up a pet because of the inability to pay for pet necessities.
“We hope by providing food and treats to government employees who are pet owners, we can help them conserve their savings for other needs,” Kirdar said.
Any surplus donations made by the community will also help the Santa Fe Animal Shelter with their pet supply needs, which helps more than 5,000 homeless animals every year.