Lisa and Rick Kemp spend every Saturday morning volunteering at the Richland County Dog Shelter walking dogs. However, one Saturday Rick and Lisa witnessed an act that impacted both of their lives.
The Kemp’s noticed a couple enter the shelter with a Husky named, Boss. They noticed that the couple seemed distraught.
“We noticed that the woman was crying and we weren’t sure why. We watched the man walk the dog into the shelter and when he came back out, Boss wasn’t with him,” said Lisa Kemp.
The Kemp’s noticed how upset the couple appeared, so they went over to speak with them. “The couple shared that they had no choice but to surrender Boss because they just couldn’t afford to take care of him anymore. It was just heartbreaking to see,” said Lisa.
After the Kemp’s learned the reason behind Boss’s surrender, they decided to take action into their own hands. “We looked around the area to see if there was a place where people could go who were in need of dog or cat food. Once we looked around, we realized there wasn’t a place. We contacted the Salvation Army in the fall of 2010 and decided to begin distributing dog and cat food through the Salvation Army,” said Kemp.
Lisa shared that when Mid-Ohio Pet Food Pantry began, it was challenging. “It was difficult for us to figure out how much food would be needed to keep the pantry stocked. Beginning in January 2013, we have been able to keep it stocked,” said Lisa.
Lisa explained that the majority of the fundraising is performed at Mid-Ohio. The couple will set up a table at major races and accept donations for pet food.
“We had a lot of people come up to us and tell us how much they loved the idea of what we were doing,” said Lisa.
The Kemp’s organize and separate dog and cat food inside of their garage. “We generally meet up with people who want to donate. It is about what is most convenient for them,” said Lisa.
Since 2010, the Kemp’s have been working with Simply Easy Meals and providing dog and cat food to those who receive the meals, if it is needed. Lisa also shared that along with cat and dog food, cat litter is also provided only to those who receive Simply EZ Meals. “We are starting to hear more people ask for toys and treats and that is something we are figuring out right now,” said Lisa.
Lisa shared that the pet food pantry provides between 500-550 pounds of cat and dog food to the Salvation Army and Simply EZ Meals and 100 pounds of cat litter to Simply EZ Meals each month.
The Kemp’s still go to the dog shelter every Saturday morning to continue walking dogs. Lisa also shared an update on Boss. “I am happy to say that Boss was adopted out. He was only there for a very short time. I hope that his previous family knows that something good came out of that situation,” said Lisa.
The Mid Ohio Pet Food Pantry is located within the Richland County Salvation Army building at 47 S. Main St, in Mansfield. Hours are from 9:30 am to 11:15 am, Monday thru Friday, closed on legal holidays.
You can find out more about the Mid-Ohio Pet Food Pantry and how to donate via their Facebook page.
