Blue Dog Bakery has launched the Pet Treat Pantry, a partnership between the Seattle, Washington, USA-based all-natural dog treat company and select food banks in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, North Carolina and New Jersey.
The partnership will provide treats to the dogs of food bank clients. To start the Pet Treat Pantry, Blue Dog Bakery donated 4,572 boxes of Blue Dog Bakery treats to five participating food banks across the country. Through December 2012, for each shopper who purchases a specially marked box of Blue Dog Bakery treats, the company will donate a box to the Pet Treat Pantry, up to 100,000 boxes. Customers can enter the registration code found on the box online and select one of five participating food banks to direct their donation.
Participating Pet Treat Pantry food banks in the USA include:
• Rainier Valley Food Bank – Seattle, Washington
• The Pongo Fund – Portland, Oregon
• Empty Bowl Pet Food Pantry – Phoenix, Arizona
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina – Charlotte, North Carolina
• The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties – Neptune, New Jersey
“Food banks ease the hunger of those in need, but we seldom think about the pets that live with them,” said Sam Osborne, executive director of the Rainer Valley Food Bank in Seattle. “Hunger is an issue that touches the lives of dogs just as much as their owners. Our pets are our families in every sense of the word, and are often one of the most important things getting these individuals through tough times. For a dog, treats say ’I love you’ and to be able to provide healthy treats for our families with pets is something truly special.”