Barry Ebling and Jan Baron were moved by the plight of homeless people who chose to live on the streets rather than sleep at a shelter that wouldn't allow their pets to stay with them.
Barry Ebling remembers seeing a homeless man standing in the rain getting wet because he had put his coat on his dog.
"When someone's that dedicated, they deserve a helping hand," said Ebling.
They also found that finding food for themselves is difficult enough let along finding food for their pets.
So they decided to work with national organization Pets of the Homeless to try to alleviate some of the problems the homeless experience simply because they choose not to relinquish their pets.
They also discovered that providing food to people in economic hardship may prevent a pet from being turned over to shelters.
They have made arrangements to collect pet food at the following locations:
SHARPS Hardware
1925 W. Florida Ave.
Hemet
Senior Citizens Service Center Food Bank
41538 Eastman Dr. #C
Murrieta, CA
Moreno Valley Plumbing Supplies
24457 Sunnymead Blvd.
Moreno Valley
Carpet Time of Moreno Valley
23071 Sunnymead Blvd.
Moreno Valley
PETCO
24480 Village Walk Pl.
Murrieta
NAMERRS Vinyl Works
1156 Sunset Cliffs
Hemet
The Senior Citizens Service Center also is a distribution point for the food. They reach out to seniors in the Murrieta-Temecula community that are having a hard time making ends meet.
They also work with CAYA Ministries in Riverside to help distribute pet food and each Friday they bring pet food to Moreno Valley Plumbing Supplies where the owner provides meals for the homeless each Friday.
They are trying hard to work with homeless shelters to allow the homeless to bring their pets and have them sleep alongside in crates. To this end they are currently collecting crates.
Veterinary care and vaccinations are another problem that the homeless pet owners deal with so Ebling and Baron are accepting cash donations to provide some funding. They are also seeking veterinarians who may provide care. Future plans include providing vaccination clinics as well.
If you would like to help you can bring pet food donations to the businesses listed or to donate financially to Pets of the Homeless visit their Web site at: www.petsofthehomeless.org. For more information call 951-334-3504 or email Ebling at osomon48@yahoo.com.
