Written by Published: June 29, 2009
CONCORD — Sharon Carmichael was not sure if the trip from her home in Kannapolis to Foster’s Grille in Concord on Saturday would be worth it to receive free pet food.
“Because of the gas (prices) and (being) unemployed, I am on limited funds,” Carmichael said. “But it was well worth it.”
At the first mobile pet food drive for Petey’s Promise at Foster’s Grille, Carmichael received four three-pound bags of dog food, one bag of treatment for her dog’s dry skin and three bags of treats.
Carmichael is just the type of person Petey’s Promise was hoping to serve. The group started last July as a way to provide temporary food and pet-care items for pet owners who are having difficulty doing so.
“They don’t have to be unemployed,” said Liz Mellott, founder of Petey’s Promise. “All costs are going up, and if you need help to stretch your budget, that’s all we need (to know).”
Mellott started the group after reading about pets being abandoned by their owners. When she tried to donate to a pet food bank, she found there were not any and decided to create her own. She named the group after her rescued dog, Petey.
Since July 15, 2008, Petey’s Promise has fed 684 pets. At the first mobile food drive on Saturday, it fed 44 pets.
“We are tickled to death because that’s a lot of animals we fed,” Mellott said.
The group also benefited from having the drive at Foster’s Grille. The restaurant said it would donate 10 percent of the business proceeds on Saturday between 1 and 4 p.m.
Outside of the restaurant, Petey’s Promise had free pet toys, treats, cat litter, training spray, collars and other items it has received from donors.
Those who attended the mobile food drive were not only surprised by the items Petey’s Promise had available but also the amount of food they received.
“I was thinking we’d get a bag of dog food,” said Holly Mills, of Charlotte, who owns six rescued pets. “The amount (of food) and the generosity are awesome.”
Mills picked up cat food, litter, toys and treats. At a time when she and her husband are out of work, receiving these items for free helped.
“The last thing you think about when you lose your job is feeding your animals,” Mills said.
Mills said one of her dogs has an ear infection, and she has been unable to take the dog to the vet. Now, Mills thinks she will be able to do so with the money she saved.
Carmichael said she spent months putting off her dog, Zip’s, haircut and finally had to spend the $45 for it. Saving at least $70 on pet food made up for that expense, she said.
Those who received the food said they were grateful and expressed a desire to either donate what they could on Saturday to Petey’s Promise or promised to help in the future.
“I’ve never heard of anybody giving away food for pets,” said Bernetta Wright, of Kannapolis. “As soon as I’m able, I’m going to give back to these people.”
Written by 
Mellott is the founder of Petey’s Promise, a nonprofit organization in Harrisburg that feeds the pets of families in need. She launched the organization back in July with the help of co-workers from the National Speed Sport News – just when the demand for such a need started to surge.
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