Stop Daffy's Pet Food Bank EVICTION
Tax deductible
Twenty years ago I started Daffy's Pet Soup Kitchen, it was the very first food bank for pets in the country. We have helped start over 300 pet food banks across the country over the last 10 years. In the begining I was handing out food from the back of my truck to individuals with pets in need. The second 10 years I started with our 1st brick and mortor soup kitchen that went from handing out 2,000 lbs of supplies our first month to handing out over 80,000 lbs of supplies per month in just 6 months. Our main goal was helping individuals keep their pet family members at home and out of shelters, rescues or worse. As supply grew and needs changed so has our range of giving. We now have 10,000 sq ft of warehouse space and help individuals, rescues, shelters, and natural disaster areas. Problem is with more product coming in and more people and pets needing help, our expenses go up as well. Daffys has had its share of bad luck over the past year or so and it keeps creeping in on us. First we damaged our trailer and blew the motor in our only delivery truck taking supplies to louisiana in their need. We signed a lease on a new pet supply store that will provide a cat therapy room, discount vaccines, and a space for meetings and lectures to serve and educate the community on pets and animals in general. That was 14 months ago and we have still not been able to open due to issues with property management and fire inspections etc. It has been one road block after another. We have spent about $20,000 getting this store ready to open which should be in April and we have optimistically been telling people just one more month or two more months for what feels like forever, but needless to say this has left us financially crippled. Last year we distributed over 1.5 million dollars worth of supplies but the donations are not coming in as they were. And now our shopping center where our product is stored has been sold and our rent has gone up 70% and we just can not keep up. The new owner was working with us but that is no longer the issue since I, the founder, was in a 8 car pile up on the hwy about 5 weeks ago and we got a little behind on our rent and now the landlord wants all back money and fees that have been added since without a discussion. We have already been served with our eviction paperwork. We have till the 27th to put together what they have demanded. If we do not come up with this money Daffy's will have no where to go, and no money to even move. We just had a sale and I thought I needed to go help do this but ended up back in the hospital over night with debilitating migraines due to post concussion syndrome meaning I am limited as to what I can do. I feel as if I have let this charity down, all the animals down, all my employees down who have families to feed as well. Those who know me know I rarely ask for help unless really needed but I cant bare the thought of having to close my doors after 21 years to all those in need. We need help and we need it fast. I have reached out to my landlord with no response so with no financial help this week we will be out of business by the end of the month. Thank you in advance for any and all assistance. With help getting through this we can make a bigger difference this year and complete the programs we have started and save the ones already in place helping people and their pets every day.
Organizer
Tom Wargo
Organizer
Lawrenceville, GA
SOS Club Inc d/b/a Daffy's Pet Soup Kitchen
Beneficiary