Donations needed for seniors in need to feed their furry friends

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston needs your help restocking its shelves for a few hundred furry friends. The non-profit has a program called AniMeals on Wheels that takes food for the pets that belong to their clients. But the demand has increased this month, while the donations have dropped off significantly.

About 500 seniors who are served by Meals on Wheels also have pets that need to eat. The AniMeals on Wheels program gives these seniors a small bag of food for their pets monthly, and sometimes more frequently.

In all, they serve about 1,100 pets served every month.

The Manager of Volunteer Services, Hannah Weier, tells us they need about 8,000 pounds of food every month. Right now they're at a few hundred pounds and handing it out faster than they're getting it in.

That's made for some anxious moments for the people who run the program, and the seniors who depend on them.

"I'm almost without words. They've just been a great help," said disabled veteran Stacey Dawson. "Living on a fixed income, it's hard. Quality dog food. They bring very good dog food and treats."

"We know that without our seniors getting this pet food might have no other pet food to feed their pets and might share their own Meals on Wheels food with their pets, which is not sustainable model for the seniors' nutrition or the pets' nutrition," Weier said.

If you'd like to donate, you can drop off donations from 8:30 to 5:30 at the Meals on Wheels building on San Jacinto. You can also call to see how else you can help. The number is 713-533-4948.