By WVUA 23 Digital Reporter Josie Wahl
Pets are beloved members of many families, and their owners often go above and beyond for their care. Spending thousands on a fence so the dog has an enclosed spay for playtime. Cat trees or even a “catio” so the cat can bird watch and get some fresh air.
But no one is immune from struggles, and some pet owners who find themselves financially strapped end up making the heartbreaking decision to surrender their pets to a shelter or find them new homes.
That’s a decision Bob Coulson is working toward ending. Coulson, a pet chaplain at Forest Lake United Methodist Church in Tuscaloosa, is hosting regular pet food pantries aimed at getting struggling pet owners the items they need so their pets can stay home.
The first ever drive happened March 23, and Coulson said he didn’t quite know what to expect.
Six cars were already lined up before the pantry even opened.
“I thought they had the wrong time,” Coulson said. “I went to each person just to tell them ‘hey, we don’t start until later,’ and they said they knew but wanted to be in line. That’s when we knew there was a need for it.”
That day, Coulson handed out 24 large dog food bags, 20 bags of cat food and nine containers of cat litter. Each car also received a blessing for their pets. Five cars came by and dropped off donations.
“We have our focus around helping animals and companions,” he said. “We have a lot of strays and people want to surrender their animals or cut them loose because finances are too tight. What we saw was that people were either concerned about surrendering or re-homing. Our focus for animal kinship ministry was to be a collaborative ministry with any organization to help animals stay in their homes or their families.”
For those in line, some had one dog or several, some had dogs and cats, and one woman was taking care of a feral cat colony. Each got what they needed with no hesitation.
“We’re seeing ourselves as a sort of mission station because people want to donate and people want to receive,” Coulson said. “We are the conduit for helping with that.”
Forest Lake United Methodist Church’s Animal Kinship Ministry “seeks to fulfill the Mission Statement by helping pets stay with their families and in homes.” It offers pet blessings, rainbow bridge support and now the pet pantry.
The inspiration for the entire animal ministry came after the passing of Coulson’s beloved Chihuahua Pixie, who had been with him for 14 years.
While Pixie was originally a gift for his wife, Coulson said they bonded over the years, especially when he was undergoing major medical treatment. After her passing, Coulson turned to spiritual talks to deal with the grief. He quickly came to realize there were others out there who needed the same compassion in their time of grief.
He attended a Master’s of Divinity program, where he learned how he could encourage people to tell their pets’ stories while they’re grieving.
“You lost that very bonded friend,” Coulson said. “When your pets get very sick and it looks like you’re going to have to make a choice around the ultimate sacrifice. If your pet goes home to the Creator, how do you go about doing that?”
Now, he’s there for anyone who needs help handling their pet’s loss. Because, he said, grief is love with no room to grow in the heart.
“It kind of beat you up and I was like, OK, well how about if I put grief and guilt to work and find things that will make lives better,” Coulson said.
The pet pantry is an extension of that help, and the ministry’s plan is hosting an event quarterly throughout the year.
Donations are welcome year round and can be dropped off in the welcome center at the church Monday through Friday during operational hours, and on Sundays any time after 9:30 a.m.
“I’m retired and blessed with the resources that I can do this,” Coulson said. “So I help them with ultimate toll free freedom to grieve and how to process that and how to find the right people to support them during hard times. That’s why I do it.”
The next pet pantries are happening May 18, Aug. 3 and Nov. 2.
If you’re in immediate need of pet supplies, you can contact your local animal shelter or food pantry for assistance. Many have food or supplies available for families in need, as they’d rather keep pets with their families than see them added to overflowing rescues and shelters.
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