By Sarah Bamford
For those of you that know me personally you know my rescue dog Sumi. He was only 6 months old when we met at a Pet Pantry Warehouse event in New Canaan. It was love at first sight, and six years later, Sumi has become such an important part of my life. I am so grateful that the universe aligned our paths on that day but more importantly, I appreciate how committed to animal welfare and rescue Pet Pantry is and I am so thrilled to announce that their positive impact is expanding this year!
Pet Pantry is a family-owned and operated pet supplies retailer that was founded in Greenwich over 75 years ago. The retailer now has locations throughout Fairfield, and Westchester County and for the first time will host new events in Fairfield in addition to its annual events in New Canaan and Greenwich. These outdoor events are known as the “ultimate furry fun-raisers” and feature games, competitions, family activities, entertainment, and a lot of free swag from premium pet food brands. Pet Pantry events are free to the public, attract thousands, and were created to bring the community together while raising money for local non-profit organizations like Adopt-A-Dog (adopt-a-dog.org) and other worthy causes.
In 2020 Pet Pantry celebrated its 75th year anniversary but all signature events in addition to in-store anniversary celebrations were canceled due to the pandemic. Last year, Pet Pantry was able to host Puttin’ on the Dog and Howl & Prowl in Greenwich although the events were scaled down to protect attendees. I spoke to the Executive Vice President at Pet Pantry, Adam Jacobson, and he explained how important the events have become, “Our fundraising is critical in the communities we serve. Organizations we’ve supported for decades with our signature events rely on our financial support. I know that our partners and the families in the communities we serve are just as eager for these events to return as we are.”
During the pandemic, the Pet Pantry team found an urgent need to provide more financial assistance in both Westchester and Fairfield counties. With the addition of a monthly in-store fundraising program, Pet Pantry has been able to increase community giveback all year long. The Donatable Dollars campaign was created to enable Pet Pantry retail locations to raise money through the Pet One monthly specials program. Since the launch of this campaign, Pet Pantry has raised over $70,000 dollars to assist non-profits, individuals in need, and other people and/or pets in their local communities. Each time a customer chooses to shop items on sale from participating brands, Pet Pantry is able to make a contribution.
“Adopt-A-Dog is incredibly grateful for not only the ongoing support of Pet Pantry Warehouse but for our long-term partnership,” said Adopt-A-Dog Executive Director, Courtney Bellew. She continued, “We love working together to bring fun events to the local communities and raise awareness about rescue animals. Last year’s Putin’ on the Dog was an amazing turnout despite the pandemic and we hope to have even more people enjoy these upcoming events in 2022”. Putin’ on the Dog and Pet Pantry have partnered on this event for more than 30 years. The shelter was founded in 1982 in Greenwich by residents Donna Nives, Gloria Scheuer, and Pam Fahnestock. Now based in Armonk, N.Y., Adopt-A-Dog still holds its biggest event in Greenwich but through its partnership with Pet Pantry, the organization has expanded its fundraising reach in Fairfield and Westchester County.
This year’s event lineup includes the annual New Canaan Dog Days scheduled for Saturday, May 21st at New Canaan Nature Center from 11 am until 4 pm; Fairfield Dog Days at Old Town Hall on Sunday, June 19 from 11 am until 4 pm; Puttin’ On The Dog at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich on Sunday, September 18 from 10 am until 4:30 pm; Harvest Market at Old Town Hall in Fairfield on Saturday, October 15 from 10 am until 4 pm; and Howl & Prowl on Greenwich Avenue on Sunday, October 30th from 1 pm until 4 pm.
For more information, please visit Pet Pantry online (ppwpet.com), subscribe to the PPW email list, and follow along on social. Event details will also be available at each of the retail locations. @PPWPet #PPWPet
