Fun fact:
spcaLA, one of the city's oldest animal shelters, uses some 66,000 pounds of pet food a year for their sheltered animals. The organization is currently seeking donations for pet food.
How come? Miriam Davenport, spcaLA's vice president, says the organization is reliant on donations every year. But this year, it's seeing an unexpected uptake of animals needing shelter.
"We've just seen more intake into the shelter, either animals who are lost, or stray," she said. "We've also seen more people who've had to give up their pets for a variety of reasons, so those are the homeless and abandoned dogs that we serve."
What's needed: The shelter is asking primiarly for food — wet or dry — for puppies, dogs, kittens and cats. It also accepts monetary donations to purchase them.
What's not needed: "We are not able to accept anything that's opened," Davenport said.
How much food is needed: Davenport says since the call-out for donations, the public has responded generously — but more food is still needed.
"We're probably at the point where we have enough for maybe a month or two in reserve," she said. "In an ideal world, we'd love to have six months of food just ready to go so that's easier to replenish throughout the year."
How you can help: Drop off food donations to any spcaLA location during business hours. You can also purchase and ship needed items from spcaLA’s wish lists. For more info, go here.