(Kolbie Peterson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Raychelle Cotter takes a photo with her Chihuahua named Duke in Pioneer Park on October 31, 2021.

Margie Varela, founder and president of Street Dawg Crew in Utah, said she can resonate with pet owners who live on the street she sees.

"I could have been there," she said. She took a break from distributing pet food and colorful dog toys to homeless people and their furry friends at Pioneer Park on a recent Sunday.

Even when she was on the brink of homelessness, Varela refused to give up her dog. "My sister helped me pay for my house to catch up, and I got a job to see what I'm doing now," she said.

She started outreach activities in 2017 to provide zippered pet food bags to homeless pet owners in the Ballpark community where she works. Now, every other Sunday, she will appear in Pioneer Park with her Street Dawg Crew, and distribute food, belts and other important supplies with volunteers.

On Halloween in the park, Raychelle Cotter said that Street Dawg Crew helped her a lot by not only providing dog food, but also providing affordable injection and sterilization services for her 7-year-old gregarious Chihuahua Duke (an emotional support dog), as He is wearing a black vest as shown.

Varela said that since the beginning of the pandemic, her organization has been busier than ever, distributing approximately 3,500 pounds of pet food every month-either in the park or from Varela’s front porch, she said, cash-strapped Individuals and families can pick up the goods there.

(Kolbie Peterson | Salt Lake City Tribune) On October 31, 2021, the Ulti Dog got a ghostly jack-o'-lantern toy from a street band in Utah in Pioneer Park.

In 2020, the number of people requesting food in the pet food storage room of Best Friends Animal Society also increased, when the organization received an average of 156 orders per month. Since then, the average order volume has dropped to about 120 orders per month, but Ashley Murphey, the organization’s senior shelter partner coordinator, said pet owners continue to rely on this resource.

She said the pet food pantry is “really helpful for those who don’t have a job. They may not be traditionally low-income earners, but they are in a difficult situation,” she said.

If you need help feeding your dog or cat, some organizations in Utah provide pet food for low-income animal owners.

Best Friends' pet food storage room is located in the life-saving center of Sugar House, 2005 S. 1100, Salt Lake City East. Food is only provided in temporary or emergency situations, but owners usually receive enough food for their pets for a month. Every time you need to apply for pet food, you need to fill out an online form. You can pick up your order at the Sugar House facility by making an appointment.

(Trent Nelson | Salt Lake City Tribune) On Saturday, November 6, 2021, Changs Butterfield loads food into trucks in the pet food storage room of the Best Friends Animal Association in Salt Lake City.

To request pet food through Street Dawg Crew in Utah, please send a message to the group directly on Facebook to arrange a pickup, or visit StreetDawgCrew.org for more information.

Nuzzles & Co. provides a temporary pet food storage room in the grocery store parking lot opposite the Salt Lake Valley for pet owners who are experiencing difficulties. Check out the schedule of events for this non-profit organization in Park City on Facebook. Summit County residents can pick up pet food at Nuzzles & Co. Rescue Ranch, 6466 N. High View Road, Peoa, 7 days a week.

West Valley City Animal Services launched Operation Pet Supply Drop to help pet owners who have been on leave or fired due to COVID-19. It is still available as long as you are a resident of West Valley City or Taylorsville. To request food, you need to fill out an online form and your order will be delivered to your porch.

The Hildegard pantry located at 231 E. 200 St. Mark’s Cathedral Church in Salt Lake City provides pet food and regularly selected human food as long as they have stock. You do not need to be a member of the Anglican Church to apply for food, but you need to bring your ID. The pantry is open from 11 am to 1:30 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 5 pm to 6:30 pm on Thursday

(Trent Nelson | Salt Lake City Tribune) On Saturday, November 6, 2021, food was donated at the pet food storage room of the Best Friends Animal Association in Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake County Animal Service Center provides free sterilization and sterilization services every two months, including vaccination and microchips. Pre-registration is required; attractions open a week in advance and fill up quickly. Follow the Salt Lake County Animal Service on Facebook to view upcoming events; registration links will be posted under each event.

At the time of the service, the owner will be required to issue a license for their pet at a cost of US$15 or US$5 (for seniors 60 years of age or older). To qualify for these services, you must live in Bluffdale, Holladay, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray or Salt Lake City, or in a town in Copperton, Emigration Canyon, Kearns, Magna or White City.

Peoa's Nuuzzles & Co. Community Clinic provides affordable neutering/neutering and vaccinations, as well as allowances, for pet owners who meet specific income requirements. Visit NuzzlesAndCo.org/community-clinic/ for more information.

The Utah Humane Society will neuter dogs at its Murray and St. George clinics for $125 and cats for $90. The organization also provides low-cost vaccination.

Street Dawg Crew of Utah cooperates with local veterinary clinics to provide free vaccination clinics every year and can also help pay for sterilization/sterilization services. Contact the organization for more information.

The Pet Samaritan Fund supports pet owners who cannot afford veterinary care in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County. In order to be eligible, you must be able to show documents that you are receiving disability or social security benefits, are experiencing financial difficulties, or are receiving government assistance, such as Medicaid or WIC.

Best Friends Animal Society provides a large list of organizations that provide financial assistance to pet medical care on its website.

The Utah Humane Society’s pet retention program aims to keep pets at home, even if their owners or family members are experiencing some type of crisis. It provides pet owners with temporary assistance in obtaining pet food and veterinary care.

Street homeless workers in Utah strive to help homeless and low-income pet owners provide emergency medical care as much as possible.

The Best Friends Animal Society distributes each of these items through its pet food storage room, but the selection will vary based on the items donated to the organization.

In addition to pet food, West Valley City Animal Services also distributes cat litter through Operation Pet Supply Drop.

Nuzzles & Co. distributes cat litter through its pop-up pet food pantry in Salt Lake Valley and Rescue Ranch in Summit County.

Street bands in Utah distribute these items and pet food in Pioneer Park.

(Kolbie Peterson | The Salt Lake Tribune) October 31, 2021, Street Dawg Crew founder and president Margie Varela and Chairman of the Board of Directors Tachelle Hilton-King took a photo at Pioneer Park on October 31, 2021. They distributed pets for homeless pet owners Provide food and other supplies.

Anyone interested in donating to the organizations mentioned in this article can donate through their personal website.

Best Friends Animal Society accepts donations of pet food (especially cat food) and other supplies in the trash bin near the front door of its life-saving center in Sugar House and through Amazon.

The Humane Society lists various ways that people can offer on its website. West Valley Animal Services accepts donated pet food and cat litter at its factory located at 4522 W. 3500 South.

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