Pet Pantry Helps El Paso Families In Need

When families fall on hard times, it isn’t just the people in the household who are affected. Pets are, too. Many are given up because their owners feel like they can’t care for them anymore.

One woman doesn’t think that should be happening.

“I can’t fathom having to give up my boys — because that’s what they are, they’re my boys. They’re part of my family,” Josie Gonzalez said. “I can’t fathom giving them up because I can’t provide basics for them.”

And that’s when Gonzalez decided she had to step in and help her fellow pet owners who were down on their luck — and the animals who lived with them. She created Ben’s Pet Pantry — named after her dogs that she rescued from the side of the road years ago.

The businesswoman bought all the food herself at first. Eventually, she was able to supply the pantry with donations. Gonzalez takes applications and arranges the exchange based on who qualifies for help the most.

“I recently lost my job, my husband lost his job, and I have three dogs,” one woman told ABC-7 as she picked up two bags of food. She asked that her name not be given. “I would never put them up for adoption.”

While the woman said she is grateful to Gonzalez for the service she’s providing, Gonzalez is grateful, too — to the people who are helping her donate food to those in need.

“We’ve had some really awesome people in the community offer and donate truckloads of food. So this is really where it comes from,” said Gonzalez.

If you’d like to help — or you need help yourself — you can call 996-4944 or go to the Ben’s Pet Pantry website by clicking here.