SALT LAKE CITY — Santa came to town a bit early on Christmas Eve, visiting Pioneer Park to help the nonprofit Street Dawg Crew of Utah provide pet food, treats, and toys to pets of those who are unsheltered in addition to hot meals for their owners.
Street Dawg Crew's mission is to keep people and pets together, as many shelters will not accept animals.
Every other Sunday, they visit Pioneer Park to provide food and supplies for pets, as well as leashes, harnesses, toys, and blankets.
They also help with vaccinations, spaying, and neutering.
It's estimated that ten percent of unsheltered people have pets and fear losing them; these animals provide companionship and unconditional love to those who truly need it.
In 2023 alone, Street Dawg Crew has helped 730 families, 1,067 dogs and 678 cats by providing more than 90,000 pounds of dry food, 3,300 cans of wet food, and thousands of pounds of cat litter.
“This has been the busiest year since we started nearly 8 years ago,” said Street Dawg Crew vice president, Trachelle Hilton-King.
“The past few months have exploded in food requests. With so many people experiencing food and housing insecurity and the cost of living on the rise, too many are struggling to feed their animals.”
Because it provides food to Meals on Wheels and many other food pantries around the state, with some pet food pantries closing, Street Dawg Crew is heavily reliant on donations.
Go here to donate or here to find out how to volunteer or drop off food donations.
"I’ve been involved in animal welfare and rescue for nearly 20 years,” King added. “This year has crushed my soul. Every shelter and every rescue is over-capacity. There are simply not enough homes.
"Street Dawg Crew continues to work hard to keep animals with their people.”
