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By KAREN THIEL

The organizers of this year’s fifth annual Beaufort County pet food drive have added an extra drop-off spot, so more tender-hearted donors can supplement pet food supplies – and choose the location that is closer to their homes or job sites.

Phoebe Wahab, who works at the Bath Community Library and has helped organize the drive there, said that timing and convenience are the primary reasons for the new drop-off option. The drive, which traditionally runs all through December, will be limited by the closure of Bath’s library from Thursday, December 23 through Monday, December 27. Organizers wanted to offer another option for folks who have not yet donated to the cause, which supports the Pet Food Pantry of Eastern North Carolina, as well as the Paws and Love outreach.

“We believe that the Pet Food Pantry is a gift for the entire community,” said Terri Parish, the pet food pantry’s Beaufort County representative, who regularly accepts donations at Ship On Site, which is her family’s store and well known as a satellite pet care donation location in Washington. She has volunteered to receive all donations that are brought there during regular business hours. “By lending a hand when times are tough and providing dog and cat food for the companion pets of anyone in need – senior citizens, veterans and the disabled – we can ease these burdens on the families and the community,” she added.

Ship on Site is located at the Midtown Crossing shopping center in Washington, next to Tractor Supply and accessible by the light at the Good Will Store on Fifteenth Street. The store is open from 9a.m. to 6p.m. on weekdays at 10a.m. till 2p.m. on Saturdays. 

 The Pet Food Pantry of Eastern North Carolina currently serves 35 Beaufort County families who receive regular assistance for their pets. The group assists more than 1,200 pets and owners in Beaufort and Pitt counties. The Beaufort County location also authorizesw people in need to walk in and receive food on an emergency basis, as well as free pet spay and neuter services, which are partly funded through donations from members of the public. Paws and Love is a Beaufort County nonprofit group which takes in at-risk cats and kittens who have been abandoned, orphaned, or are living on the streets. Their programs promote adoption of these orphans, long term health care for those animals which need the services of their sanctuary, and a trap-neuter-and-release program for feral cats.