It seems this weekend has been a weekend of emptying my trunk, or taking care of my Memphis Pets Alive! Pet Pantry folks.
I say this with pride because it is my responsibility to make sure that some pet owners are able to remain pet owners and I help provide the food, that they cannot always afford to purchase for their dogs and/or cats.
Over in the Frayser area is an older gentleman named Mr. Bryant. I have only spoken with this man once, but he is a very appreciative man on the food. He just wants to make sure his cats have food. I think he is uncomfortable with wanting to come outside and say hello, but he may not even have a phone at his house. From viewing his house and the neighborhood he lives in, one can tell that his cats probably mean the world to him. His neighborhood is one of the only streets that I know of where there may not be a single street light. One day, just maybe one day I will meet this man.
This morning I received a phone call from Mr. Moore (no first names are allowed on this post). He was actually calling about a puppy his cousin has who was born with some issues (in regards to gender organs), and so the phone call was mostly about that problem. Then we got to talking, and he stated that it gets hard for him to always take care of his animals, I explained to him that it was no problem for Memphis Pets Alive! to keep support his family of four-legged ones. After all, with the recent enormous donations from Kroger and our newly launched Amazon wish list (click there for more:
Amazon Wish list) we are definitely in surplus mode at the moment. Mr. Moore is a man who lives down in a rough neighborhood that is off S. 3rd Street.
I have been supplying Mr. Moore, and his sister Miss Moore (who lives a few miles to the N. of her brother) with food for the last few months. Mr. Moore is a man living on disability as a result of a motorcycle accident that occurred while he was riding his motorcycle down the highway near Baton Rouge. He has not lived in this area very long, but he has two young pups, a momma cat, and two of her kittens, that I have been able to watch grow up. One of the kittens was a little too brave and got hit by a car just in the last week or two. Mr. Moore may came from a different culture, different neighborhood, and maybe a totally different world than I do, but I am certain that I will always receive one thing from him - a giant hug! Last month during our visit he said this to me, "Mr. John, I love you for what you do to help me take care of animals, I really do." That's enough to give a guy like me a few goosebumps. We have a Tuesday morning fishing day together coming up pretty soon as well.
His sister has a heart just big as he does. She is a little lady that I first met while delivering food to her neighbors. She had a little grandson with her who instantly was joined to my hip for the 20 minutes or so that we were together. She rides around these days in an electric wheelchair and lives alone with her three dogs that who stay in her front yard that is fenced to protect her house. Today I learned that she had lost 170 lbs, but still has some knee issues that were preventing her from getting out of her wheelchair. She will be having surgery in a few weeks to repair that bad knee, so I look forward to seeing her walk soon. Just like her brother, she has shared her love with a hug, and a few prayers for me as well. She is a fine church going lady, and you can see it in that big smile of hers whenever that wheelchair comes down the driveway. She reminds me of a character from the book
The Shack, if you have read it you will know.
Last of all, is Miss K (I only know her first name actually). She usually just sends me a text now when her young dog needs food. She is a single mom with a daughter who may be in middle school, and a boy who is a little younger. The boy will grow up to be a fine young man for sure. He always comes to the door and most of the time the car, to carry the bags of food into the kitchen area. What impresses me most is that he remembers my name and tonight shouted to his mom "John is here". He loves his dog, though he thinks the poor mutt should have a litter of puppies, which I will persuade him out of sometime soon. What made me laugh as I was leaving their house tonight in the Jackson Avenue area, was that I heard "tell your wife I said hello", in reference to my ex girlfriend. He meant well without a doubt, so I appreciated his thoughtfulness.
I write this tonight to say that there are some pet owners out there with tremendous hearts and lives that have been filled with burden (though we may or may not know the burdens), that make it difficult for them to financially support their own pets one hundred percent of the time. That is where the Memphis Pets Alive! Pet Pantry comes into bring assistance to these members of our community.
Please help share if you may wish and help us to help more members of this fine community so they may be able to remain pet owners and not be those that are looked down upon for surrendering their pets to certain places that will not be named.
Since yesterday evening I have delivered about 40 cans of cat food, 32 pounds of cat food, and about 200 pounds of dog food.
Miss Moore's little doggy Lilo (like the cartoon character)
Mr. Moore's doggies getting some well deserved attention
Ask any cat and they will tell you they love Temptations treats
Handing off food to Mr. Moore for the kitties.
A little puppy that belongs to Mr. Moore's cousin
This one looks just like his mom.
Without the help of companies like Kroger, and Walmart, along with local organizations, a trunk like this would not be possible.
Credit for photography goes to Miss Beth Spencer
