Perchance, Manchester house is the solution to my problems?

There’s a house on my block that was recently renovated, not restored. It has been on and off the market. The current asking price is $284,000. The house is 1300 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an office. Plus living room and kitchen. I could store the entire pet food pantry in one […]

Our pet food pantry is so much busier now, we really need your help

This past weekend was our first delivery to seven local food distros. We sent five small bags of dry cat food and five small bags of dry dog food to each disto – 70 bags total. Based on preliminary feedback, Braddock will need an additional 10 bags each month. Each distro is collecting information on […]

Mayday, mayday, mayday. We need pet food, whistle kit makers.

This is actually quite urgent so please read. During the month of April, 30 new households registered with the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry. We also forged a partnership with the food bistro in Homewood to provide pet food for 12 of their families. Last night, I learned that two other food […]

24 People Donated Over $1800 to my Crowdfund This Week

Over the past four days, you’ve donated $1800 to my legal and living expenses fund. That’s just … wow. I set a stretch goal to raise $3,000 for the current round of legal expenses plus some unexpected living expenses, including a trip to an oral surgeon. Even with insurance, that’s harsh. I asked folx to […]

Her Name was Charlie: the Kitten Who Died Suddenly

We are not a rescue, but we still end up with random cats that we try to help. Carl was adopted by a volunteer. Archimedes was adopted by other volunteers and a board member. Peyton was adopted by Marie. We have one kitten we are fostering (sort of) for a bit to help someone out. […]

You gave me strength to stand alone again. To face the world out of my own again

photo of a bllack laptop with a multicolor flower as the screensaver

This weekend, a friend gifted me with a new laptop. They bought it for me when my previous laptop died. I’ve been using the previous-previous laptop to that one, but it is a hot mess after years of churning out blog posts and social media content. It still works well enough compared to the one […]

Successful winter cat shelter workshop builds community while helping caretakers

We had great time yesterday at the Betty White’s Birthday Winter Cat Shelter Workshop, Over 20 neighbors got together at Allegheny City Brewing on the Northside. Owner Amy donated the space and provided complimentary beverages. Nearby Bistro-to-Go sent coffee (January weather) and cheesecake bites (Betty White reference.) The good news outcome – we collectively made […]

Multiple Items Stolen Temporarily Shuts Down Local Pet Food Pantry

This project has operated for over a year without much incident. The few mishaps we had with pet distributions were miscommunication. People were helpful to each other, careful when they had to move bags around, quick to alert us of issues like a bag breaking open. Sadly in the past six weeks, we’ve had at […]

Pet Food Pantry, Allegheny City Brewery Host Winter Cat Shelter Community Service Event

Why winter shelters? Winter shelters are vital for community cats. A safe warm place to get out of the elements is a fundamental tool to manage a cat colony. A simple version made from a sturdy Styrofoam cooler, a contractor bag, tape, then stuffed with straw (not hay) is quite effective. Our focus is on […]

Someone stole winter items from a local pet food pantry. Now community help is needed to replace them

This is a disappointing update to share – some unknown person has stolen several items from the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry. Heated outdoor items critical for feral and homeless cats. We’ve had items donated that were assigned to our participants and caretakers. They were labeled and then they disappeared. No food […]