LAKELAND, Fla. — The Lakeland Fire Department is teaming up with the SPCA this holiday season for a unique food drive — one that benefits the area's four-legged friends and family members.
Lots of Lakeland firefighters have gone on to adopt animals they’ve rescued. So, this year instead of raising money and collecting holiday meals for people, as they have in years past, they're trying something new: a one-week pet food drive at all seven of the city's firehouses, to help those feeling the pinch of economy feed their pets, as well as themselves.
“You always think about donating for families,” Lakeland Fire Department Spokesperson Stephanie Lewis said. “Why not include the pet as well?”
Organizers say collecting food and supplies for pets doesn't just help the animals, it helps their owners too.
Pet food and medicine have gotten expensive, they say, causing the number of pet surrenders to skyrocket this year. They hope the pet food drive will help families that the SPCA works with keep their pets and offset those costs.
“This program, we typically fed about 10,000 cats and dogs last year for income-challenge families in Polk County,” Randa Richter, the public media director for SPCA Florida, said. “And this year we're up to 14,000.”
So far, the food drive is admittedly off to a slow start, but there are still several days left to pitch in.
“And we're just asking the community to tell your friends, tell your neighbors, just any food donations to all seven stations of the Lakeland Fire Department,” Lewis said.
“We have some clients that are right now living in their vehicles with their animals,” Richter said. “So, they really don't want to give them up, and we are going to help him as much as we can.”
If the Lakeland Fire Department and the SPCA reach their goal of raising 7,000 pounds of food and $7,000, that would be enough to help out the 14,000 families that they work with for about four months.
The pet supplies can be dropped off at any of the Lakeland Fire Department’s seven firehouses.
Cash donations can also be made at those same locations, as well as the Lakeland SPCA, or through their website: SPCAflorida.org/777