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.”

Organizers of a drive to provide pet food for owners who can’t afford to feed their dogs and cats have announced four sites where the food can be picked up.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control Services are teaming in this effort, which also includes an effort to get pet food and financial contributions from the public.

In addition, Harrisburg-based Petey’s Promise offers help to pet owners who are facing the same problem.

Officials say the number of pets being turned in at the Mecklenburg County animal shelter is growing, as the economy continues to worsen.

Pet owners who request boxes of food will have to show proof of need, say officials of the Second Harvest Pet Food Bank.

Donors are asked to drop off bags that are 4 or 5 pounds or smaller. Those fit in the boxes being used by organizers of the Pet Food Bank. But larger bags also are welcome, they say.

Here are the pet food pickup sites:

Community Outreach, 1800 Brewton Drive. 704-333-4280. 9:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Contact Gwen or Blease Turner.

Abundant Life Child Development Center, 512 West 32nd Street. 704-375-0568. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. Contact Veronica Alexander.

Harbor Baptist Church, 5801 Old Concord Road. 704-596-2992. 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. weekdays except Mondays. Contact Heath Spivey.

C.U.P. Ministry, 1201 East 36th Street. 704-331-4806. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Contact David Godwin.

Here is where food can be donated:

CMPD Animal Care & Control, 8315 Byrum Drive, Charlotte.

Second Harvest Food Bank, 500-B Spratt Street, Charlotte.

Financial donations should be sent to CMPD Animal Care & Control, and made payable to “Pet Food Bank Donation.”

Petey’s Promise

This organization, headed by Elizabeth Mellott, provides food for pet owners who are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot afford to buy food and other supplies for their pets. Petey’s Promise also is seeking financial help from the community.

Pet owners in need can contact the agency and set up an appointment. For details, check www.peteyspromise.org, or call 704-654-9231.

By Kevin Cary
kcary@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Sunday, Mar. 01, 2009

Liz Mellott launched Petey’s Promise in Harrisburg to help owners feed their animals in tough times.

Liz Mellott says she’s still surprised whenever she sees the piles of pet food inside a small office off Hudspeth Road in Harrisburg.

“We weren’t expecting this to take off as fast as it did,” she said. “We just happened to start this at the right time.”

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.

Mellott had heard about folks giving up medical treatments to feed their pets, and decided to take action.

Petey’s Promise has been operating less than a year, and Mellott said creating a nonprofit from scratch is a daunting task. But once she completed the paperwork, Mellott and co-worker Sara Barkman launched a Web site to help get the word out.

It didn’t take long to realize how much need there was.

“We had to jump right in,” Mellott said. “We knew there were animals starving. We didn’t want people to have to return animals to the shelter because they couldn’t feed them.”

Petey’s Promise – named for Mellott’s dog, Petey – now feeds more than 100 dogs and 20 cats. Mellott is hoping to feed more than 300 pets by the end of the year.

The group works with donations and volunteers. Those who receive pet food are asked to donate when they can, or volunteer to help distribute food to other families.

Pets are given a four- to six-week supply of food, based on their weight. Those receiving the food must first fill out an application.

The organization distributes 200 pounds of food or more in a month. It also helps feed some animals of owners in the Cabarrus Meals on Wheels program, which provides a nutritious lunch to homebound residents.

Mellott said Petey’s Promise will have fundraisers at Les Myers Park in Concord later this month and will also work with the KannapolisIntimidators minor-league baseball team to raise money.

Mellott said food donations can be made at the organization’s office, 6509 Hudspeth Road. She said opened bags of food can be accepted.

Monetary donations can also be made through the organization’s Web site, www.peteyspromise.org, or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 91, Harrisburg, NC 28075.

The nonprofit has already seen a dramatic increase in interest. A Facebook page for the group already has more than 400 members, including almost 200 who have joined in the last month.

The organization plans to open a store, possibly by the end of April, to create more revenue to help pets in need. But Mellott said the organization doesn’t want to turn anyone away.

“We hope we are just supplementing the folks until they are back on their feet. But when something happens, what can you do?” Mellott said. “One of our clients was totally out of food, and we had to do something. We want to help as long as we can.”

National Speed Sport News staffer Liz Mellott saw a need and started a new charity, “Petey’s Promise,” a pet-food pantry that is intent on helping pet owners who are struggling financially care for their pets. Fellow NSSN staffer Sara Barkman and NSSN Publisher Corinne Economaki serve on the non-profit organization’s board. Petey’s Promise was featured in a local news article published by the Concord (N.C.) Independent-Tribune. Read the Independent-Tribune’s article by clicking here and visit www.peteyspromise.org for more information.

• Visit National Speed Sport News at www.nationalspeedsportnews.com for up-to-date racing news!

Standing in the lobby of National Speed Sport News on Hudspeth Road, Liz Mellott can’t help but smile as her dog Petey nestles at her side.

Mellott loves Petey, and considers him a part of her family.

In October 2004, when her son’s gymnastics team was returning from a competition, a driver noticed five dogs on the side of Interstate 85. The driver loaded the dogs into the van and continued home, where he asked parents if they would be willing to foster the dogs until permanent homes could be found.

“I got down on my knees and he came and laid right across my lap,” Mellott recalled. “Of course I took him home. He’s actually a foster dog that I’ve never given back.”

Mellott, who admits to involving herself in a number of different charities, recently started pondering the idea of creating her own nonprofit to help animals.

“I was reading some articles about food pantries having to stock pet food because of the housing shortage,” she said.

Always one to help, especially where animals are involved, Mellott began researching local pet food banks, only to find that the nearest such facility was in Winston Salem.

From that dilemma, Petey’s Promise was born.

“It really came out of need for the community,” Mellott said. “I want to serve Charlotte and Concord, and eventually take it statewide.”

She said in a struggling economy, many families are having to make sacrifices and sometimes feel they have to give up their pets to make ends meet.

“Everybody loves animals,” she said. “We’re at the point where people are having to give them up and that’s not fair.”

The idea behind Petey’s Promise is to collect pet food and supplies and distribute them to families in need.

The group has set up a Web site, https://www.peteyspromise.org, that will eventually include an application process for those in need of a little extra help with food and supplies.

Mellott said she hopes to be able to help those in need provide the necessary food and supplies for up to six months at a time.

Sara Barkman, a Petey’s Promise board member, said the group is planning a kickoff event in mid-August.

“Lunch has gone to the dogs” is an event where Petey’s Promise volunteers will encourage people to bring a brown bag lunch to work on Aug. 20 and donate the money saved to Petey’s Promise.

Instead of monetary donations, Barkman said, some may choose to purchase food or other treats to donate.

“We’ll take whatever somebody wants to offer,” she said.

Mellott and Barkman are planning an official kickoff event for Petey’s Promise sometime in September.

While it’s still early in the process, the two admit to already having learned a great deal about running a nonprofit.

“I felt for sure I could just come in one day and give away food,” Mellott said with a laugh.

“It’s a learning experience for us,” Barkman added. “We’re learning as we go.”

• Contact Jonathan E. Coleman at 704-789-9105.