TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay area pet supply store is working to make sure pet owners can feed their pets during hard times because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Mutt, located in Tampa's Seminole Heights neighborhood, created a pet food pantry stocked with dog and cat food for anyone in need.
The store stocked it initially, but is also asking for help from the community to keep it going.
Kendra Conze is the owner of Health Mutt and she said she's seen many people using the pet food pantry, specifically pet owners who were laid off from the hospitality and restaurant industries.
"A lot of those people are our customers," Conze said. "So, we see them all the time. We know them. We know their stories. And so we kind of were just trying to think of a way that we could help our community, our customers."
You can donate financially by calling the store at 813) 231-3137 or visiting the store in person. Face coverings are required inside.
People looking to help pet owners in need can also drop off cans or bags of pet food at the pantry outside the Health Mutt store, located at 6116 N. Central Ave. in Tampa.
For pet owners in need who may not be able to make it to Health Mutt, several animal shelters and rescue organizations are also stepping up to help animals in need during the pandemic.
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay has a pet food assistance program. So does the Humane Society of Pinellas and the SPCA Tampa.