GARY — With an average of 78 pet owners signing up for support services every month, the Gary Pet Food Pantry is looking to expand.
To keep up with the rising demand, the nonprofit is seeking donations for warehouse space and a half ton forklift.
Cause 4Paws, a Gary-based nonprofit that provides low-income pet owners with free pet food and low-cost veterinary care, is seeking donations for warehouse space and a forklift.
Started in 2018, the Gary Pet Food Pantry provides free supplies, such as food and litter, to pet owners who need assistance. The goal is to prevent animals from being surrendered or abandoned.
Pet owners can only receive pantry services for a maximum of six months. The pantry occurs every second Sunday of the month at the Beacon of Light Church, located at 3770 Burr St. in Gary. Pet owners must register for pet food in advance at cause4pawsgary.org/programs.
The Gary Pet Food Pantry operates under Cause 4Paws Gary, Inc., which was started by Michelle Robinson in 2014.
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Cause 4Paws’ stated mission is to improve “the quality of life for pets and their guardians in underserved communities with affordable responsible pet ownership services.”
Robinson said requests for pantry services doubled during the pandemic.
“When there is a crisis, the first member of the family that feels the pinch is the pet,” Robinson wrote on the Cause 4Paws website.
“That is not just in the City of Gary, it’s everywhere!” Robinson wrote.
“We need services for the most vulnerable people that are struggling like our seniors, veterans, dis-advantaged families and disabled residents,” she wrote. “The lack of affordable spay/neuter, health and wellness services for dogs and cats in the community has our local shelters and rescues overwhelmed.”
In 2023, the Gary Pet Food Pantry helped 475 families. Over the past six years, the pantry has distributed a total of 128,000 pounds of supplies, serving 1,478 Lake County residents.
Donations can be made at cause4pawsgary.org/donate.
Cause 4Paws also offers low-cost spaying and neutering services, micro-chipping, veterinary care and vaccinations. This spring the nonprofit will launch a Mobile Pet Vaccine Clinic to help reach pet owners throughout Lake County. Cause 4Paws also hopes to establish an off-leash dog park in Gary.
If a family cannot keep their pet, Cause 4Paws will help rehome the animal through their partnership with Adopt-A-Pet and The Petco Foundation’s ReHome service. Cause 4Paws does not accept lost or sick animals.
To learn more about Cause 4Paws’ services or to volunteer at an upcoming event, visit cause4pawsgary.org.
PHOTOS: Groundbreaking at Gary’s historic Union Station
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A mural outside the historic Union Station.
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The $8 million project will include a fiber monitoring area, job training and a community space.
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Gary Union Station was built in 1910 and has sat vacant since the 1970s.
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Gary Union Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
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Mayor Jerome Prince and Decay Devils President Tyrell Anderson hug during the Wednesday morning groundbreaking. The $8 million project will include a fiber monitoring area, job training and a community space.
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An exterior rending of the planned Fiber Smart House.
Fiber, gary union station
State and local leaders pose with shovels during the Wednesday morning ground breaking ceremony. Construction is scheduled to be completed next fall.
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An interior rendering of the planned Fiber Smart House.