Kal-Kan donates pet food to help human socities

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

May 4, 1997

By Devlyn Brooks

Staff Writer

Volunteers at the Beltrami Humane Society were wagging their figurative tails Friday morning when 10,000 pounds of donated Pedigree pet food rolled into Bemidji.

Kal-Kan, maker of Pedigree, donated the food to help northwest Minnesota humane societies and those displaced by the flood to feed to their animals. The Bemidji American Kennel Club helped arrange the donation. A semi-trailer was needed to haul the donation, and a forklift was needed to unload the pallets of 35-pound bags of food.

According to Terry Henderson, local shelter manager, some of the food was delivered the same morning to the "We Care" flood emergency grocery store established at the Bemidji Curling Club. And food will also be trucked to humane societies in Crookston and East Grand Forks, which have been inundated with evacuated pets.

"The East Grand Forks Humane Society has absolutely nothing," she said.

Henderson said even though the 10,000 pounds is greatly appreciated, it will probably not be enough to feed evacuated animals when considering the amount time left before the evacuees will be living normal lives.

"Ten thousand pounds sounds like a lot until you divide it up," she said. "This is the initial disbursement, but it's a good start."

The Bemidji community as well has been showing its love for animals by giving generously, Henderson said. IN the two weeks evacuees have been here, the Humane Society has received countless donations of collars, leashes, food pans, litter boxes and food.

But even with all the giving, she said there is still a need for collars and leashes because as fast as they come in they go out to needy animals.

Overall, Henderson said animal shelters in evacuation towns have been handling the influx of evacuated animals well. All that has been needed is some gracious volunteers and a little extra time.

Locally, the Beltrami Humane Society has been keeping 10 evacuee animals in-house, has found foster homes for 16 animals and has more than a half-dozen evacuee families who visit the shelter for pet supplies.

"We are keeping up," she said. "Our in-house (evacuee) animals are probably even getting spoiled. We have a tendency to spoil."