Have you ever seen a small lending library in a residential neighborhood? Mark James of St Pete used that as a springboard for an idea he had that helps pet parents struggle to feed their pets during hard times.
James lost his beloved pup to cancer a few months ago, and was looking for a way to honor his memory by helping other animals.
“I was trying to figure out a way to honor him. And this had come to my mind, because I had seen roadside food pantries for people and I had seen these little libraries, these roadside libraries. I thought you know, ‘maybe I could do a roadside pet food pantry,’” he said.
So he built Hank's Bark Box on the northwest corner of 65th Street and 3rd Avenue South in St. Petersburg in Oct. 2021. He created a Facebook page for the project, and the idea started spreading like wildfire! At first, James stocked the box with food using his own money, and told people that it was open 24 hours a day if they needed it...not only did people come take the food for their pets, but even more people began to donate to the cause!
To date, James and Hanks Bark Box have distributed 1,731 pounds of dry dog food, 494 cans of dog food, 868 pounds of dry cat food, and 2,165 cans of cat food.
If you'd like to donate to the cause, you can either contact James through the Facebook page above, or make a purchase on his Amazon Wish List.
I hope this made you smile as much as it made me smile! And maybe it'll inspire you to help someone in need today!
[WFLA]
Thumbnail photo: Getty Images