New pet food pantry locations added

DELAWARE – The Brandywine Valley SPCA is setting up new locations for their drive through pet food pantries. “People need replenishment of their food, and we’re also finding the longer the stay at home order is in place, the longer people are furloughed or out of work, they’re in need of food,” said marketing director Linda Torelli.

The locations include Sussex Academy in Georgetown, and the DE Turf Sports Complex in Milford. The pantries are contact-free and people in need of pet food and drive up and have the food loaded in the back of their vehicles. The SPCA is offering both cat and dog food. “It’s heartbreaking to see how many people are struggling, but on the positive side these pantries have great energy. People are so grateful to have the help, and some of them bring their dogs as they go through the pantry so we get to see them as well,” said Torelli.

Torelli tells 47ABC that once they saw how much the food was needed in Sussex county, they decided to add the new locations. “We’ve been trying different locations. The Georgetown location at Sussex academy was really central and pretty popular. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from folks in that community that that’s a good location,” said Torelli.

Torelli tells 47ABC that they’re serving an average of 200 families at each pantry. She also says that the SPCA has received a large donation of dog food from PetCo Foundation, but people wanting to donate cat food can do so at their shelters. Torelli says the foundation will be doubling donations from the public until June 30th.