Bamberg County receives pet supplies, food to assist elderly pet owners

Ruthie Rish, executive director of Mary Ann Morris Animal Shelter (MAMAS), and Bamberg County Animal Control applied for the grant last year.

According to HSUS SC State Director Janell Gregory, Bamberg was the third 2024 Chewy Truck recipient in the state.

Chewy donates the supplies and food, and HSUS pays for associated shipping costs and coordinates the deliveries. In this particular instance, Bamberg County leaders are partnering with the Bamberg County Office on Aging to distribute the pet products to elderly pet owners.

Animal Control Officer Ginny Mitchell, Rish, Bamberg Litter Control Officer Pharrell Pulaski and Bamberg City Animal Control representative Jonathan Edgemon were all on site to receive the products.

Gregory said, “The HSUS and Chewy partnership is designed to help keep pets in homes. This program was started during COVID to help families struggling to provide for their pets, especially in marginalized communities. In the wake of the pandemic, many pet owners were faced with having to surrender their pets due to lack of resources, so this program was created to help provide those resources and keep pets in homes where they belong.

Last year, HSUS brought over $2 million in donations to South Carolina through the program, she said. HSUS SC has worked with more than 20 different partners from each region of South Carolina to ensure that as many communities as possible are served.

Bamberg Office on Aging Executive Director Kay Clary was pleased Bamberg was selected to receive the donation. “This is a great opportunity for so many people in Bamberg County. We serve many pet owners and have volunteers who feed a lot of these animals during the week. With inflation, it has gotten much harder to feed these pets, and the Humane Society and Chewy donation is much needed and appreciated. I’m so excited to get this started.”

Bamberg County Council Chairman Evert Comer Jr. said, “Bamberg County extends our heartfelt gratitude to the Humane Society and Chewy for their generous donation of 26 pallets of animal food. Their support is invaluable in helping us care for and nourish our furry friends. We are thankful for this positive impact on the well-being of animals in need.”

“This is such an important service because our pets are an integral part of our families, and the Chewy pet products will help keep many Bamberg families intact. We are so thankful to everyone involved in this project,” said County Administrator Joey Preston.