In the United States alone, 6.3 million animals are entering shelters each year. Of those animals living in shelters, 920,000 of them are never re-homed and are euthanized. These statistics were collected by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Dr. Emily Weiss, the vice president of research and development for ASPCA stated “While some of the reasons people re-home their pets are quite complex and difficult to change, many reasons might have been easily resolved through affordable, accessible veterinary care, pet-friendly housing, and access to other supplies and resources.” There's an abundance of animals in shelters, but some families are forced to give up their pets when they cannot afford veterinary bills, pet supplies, or other expenses. Thankfully, there are people who take these problems as a challenge and commit to helping those animals stay with their families. Without further ado, I’d like to introduce Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry, a volunteer-run non-profit that is devoted to giving a helping hand to the Grand Rapids Community.
The door to Suite 5, otherwise known as Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry.
Pleasant Hearts started in the basement of A Pleasant Dog, a local dog training facility, by certified dog trainer, Rachel Jensen. Though, being a dog trainer was not Rachel’s only job that was related to dogs. She has also worked as an animal control officer for the Kent County Animal Shelter and currently works at C-SNIP, a reduced-cost spay/neuter clinic. Rachel started Pleasant Hearts on a small scale but it has grown so much that the pantry now fills up Suite 5 at 1539 Taylor Ave, Grand Rapids. Rachel works hard on this organization and devotes many hours running it even though she’s working full time and taking care of a farm that is home to 80 animals.
I got the chance to visit Pleasant Hearts on a day the volunteers were distributing supplies to clients. When I arrived, I saw everyone working together keeping the steady flow of cars moving. I was greeted by many friendly faces. I stood around observing the operation and chatted with some of the volunteers. They were all were incredibly kind and gave me some details about the pantry as well as what they do on their own time. In the back room, there were walls lined with all different types of food. Not only that, but there were also shelves stocked with flea medication, fish supplies, small animal supplies, and much more. Out front, there were bins full of collars, leashes, pet coats, dog booties, dog toys, and cat litter boxes. All of these items were available to the Pleasant Hearts clients if they were in need of them. Distributing food and supplies isn’t all that the pantry is capable of though, they also hold free spay/neuter and microchip clinics as well. These clinics are big hits and have resulted in cars being lined up down the street waiting for their turn.
Supplies that are distributed to Pleasant Hearts clients. (Scroll for more)
I really enjoyed my conversation with Rachel, the President and Founder of Pleasant Hearts. I could tell that she was incredibly devoted to the pantry and to helping those in the community. She told me that Pleasant Hearts has grown bigger than she ever thought it would. When I asked Rachel some questions about the organization, she spoke from the heart and gave me honest answers about her experiences. I asked about her biggest successes since starting the pantry. Above everything else, she told me that making connections with her clients, helping them find further resources, and being a safe space that they can look forward to was what she’s most proud of. I was curious about how Rachel ended up leading such a role, I asked more about her background. She said that when she was an animal control officer, she got a firsthand look at what the people in the Grand Rapids community were struggling with. When reviewing the paperwork for animal surrender cases, she picked up on the fact that the reasons for surrender mostly consisted of financial struggle with no way to afford their pet anymore. Now working as a Vet Tech at C-SNIP, Rachel tries to keep up with the demanding number of surgeries happening each day in an effort to control the booming animal population. “Being able to work in the lower-income communities, that’s where my heart is. That’s why I work at C-SNIP, that’s always been a dream job for me.” Rachel has lots of plans for the future of this organization. Some of which involve growing their ability to do home deliveries, continuing their ability to provide free spay/neuter and microchip clinics, possibly starting a location near the Kentwood/Wyoming area, and recruiting more volunteers that come from diverse backgrounds.
Rachel Jensen, the President and Founder of Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry.
Pleasant Hearts’ mission is to keep pets in their home. They will take in anyone who needs help, even if it is just for one visit. Their application process is simple and does not require income qualification. You only need to abide by two rules to becoming a client, don’t bring home any more animals than what you already have, and ensure the animals in your home are spayed or neutered. You’d never guess the number of people who need help with getting basic necessities for their pets covered. Pleasant Heart Pet Food Pantry has proven how a little can go a long way for someone in need.
If you’re in the giving spirit this holiday season, consider donating to Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry. Monetary donations help cover the cost of spay/neuter operations as well as buying any additional supplies that their clients need but the pantry is short on. They have donation barrels set up at 12 locations (with more to come) where you can donate any kind of pet supplies. You can find the list of drop-off locations on their “Donate” page. They have been particularly short on cat food and cat litter and greatly appreciate those items. Pleasant Hearts relies heavily on its volunteers to keep everything organized and are always looking for people to join the team. If you want to become a volunteer, there are only three requirements, you are kind, open-minded, and like to have fun! Get in contact with Pleasant Hearts by email at info@pleasantheartspetfoodpantry.org to start volunteering.
Some of the wonderful humans that were present the day I visited. (Scroll for more)
If you are on social media, consider giving them a follow and sharing some of their content on Facebook and Instagram to help spread the word. If you know of someone who needs assistance financially supporting their pet, refer them to Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry. This organization is essential to many families in the Grand Rapids Community and I feel so thankful for the people who are dedicated to keeping it running. I have a feeling this organization is going to keep growing and changing as the word keeps spreading. They truly do make Grand Rapids a better place!
For the love of dogs,
A.M. Hutchings
Resources
“More than 1 Million Households Forced to Give up Their Beloved Pet Each Year, ASPCA Research Reveals.” ASPCA, 8 Dec. 2015, www.aspca.org/about-us/press-releases/more-1-million- households-forced-give-their-beloved-pet-each-year-aspca.