Pet Assistance Program

How to Qualify

To receive pet assistance under King’s Harvest programs the owner must:

• Be below the poverty level as established by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Provide some form of identification(state, federal or county) ID card
• Show proof of ownership of the pet (vet bill, rabies certificate, license or proof you have cared for the pet more than seven consecutive days)
  
• Provide a rental/lease agreement or property taxes with your name to indicate you have a home for your pet(s).
• Proof of income for every household member.

How do you chose between a best friend and a shelter?

It’s estimated 600,000 families and 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States. 63% of those have a pet. Most Americans underestimate how the problem of homelessness affects families.

This is the impossible decision pet-lovers face when losing their homes. When they have pets it becomes harder to find shelter and pet food. Sadly, only two shelters in the US are pet friendly. Those who end up homeless with pets are in trouble. Do you give your pet up at a shelter or rescue? Leave it in a foreclosed house? We hear every day of those instances but more often than not people keep their pets because of the bond they have formed with them. The unconditional love that pet guardians understand.

Many are forced to chose between their pet or a roof over their head. Surprisingly, most choose to stay on the streets or in their cars with their pets for longer periods of time even in dangerous weather and others stay in abusive relationships because they fear leaving their pets. Their pets are non judge mental, offer comfort, and provide an emotional bond of loyalty. in some cases they provide the homeless with protection and keep them warm.

Most people never consider the circumstances that bring these folks to the streets. The unfortunate in our society are feared and ignored by the majority. It may be our own insecurities that it can and may happen to any of us. People may be homeless due to a missed rent payment, a major illness forcing bankruptcy and foreclosure, loss of a job, loss of transportation, addictions, teenage runaways, the disabled, natural disasters like Hurricane Ike and Katrina that destroy homes, spousal abuse and the list goes on and on…. But add to any of those setbacks a child and /or pet and the problem becomes too huge for some to handle. The tragic part is that the pets of the homeless do not chose their owners.

The trauma of losing your home and having to give up a beloved pet is taking its toll. For those who do find housing with their pets, they are the lucky ones. For those who cannot, we as a society must show compassion and understanding.

We are determined through our pet assistance program to provide free pet food, rescue, temporary homes, education and low cost spaying/neutering programs for pets in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.

Pet Food Giveaways

King’s Harvest provides free pet food for those in need.

Hours to receive pet food are:

• 1st and 3rd Saturday from 9-10 am.
• Wednesday and Friday from 12-1 pm.

Each person must complete a request form the first time they request food.

• Be below the poverty level as established by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services
• Provide some form of identification(state, federal or county) ID card
• Provide proof the pet has been spayed or neutered
• Provide a rental/lease agreement or property taxes with your name to indicate you have a home for your pet(s).
• Proof of income for every household member.

You may receive pet food once a month (every 30 days)

We would like to thank the community and especially Ralston-Purina for their generous donation of pet food.

If you or your business is interested in donating please call 563-570-4536.

All donations are tax deductible and appreciated.

Spay and Neuter Program

Doesn’t everyone get their cat or dog spayed or neutered?

NO! There are millions of healthy cats/kittens and dog/puppies put to death each year in the U.S. animal shelters because of unaltered cats and dogs and not enough homes for their offspring. People put off spay/neuter due to issues of money, transportation, or time.

Some people don’t know that:

• Cats can start mating at six months of age or younger
• Even indoor-only cats often find ways of getting outdoors when they come into heat.
• An unaltered male cat can father hundreds of kittens a year.
• Spaying a female before her first heat protects her from risks of cancer. 

Reasons to Spay and Neuter:

• Your pet will live longer and healthier life.
• It will improve your pet’s behavior.
• It is cost effective.
• Neutering helps decrease unwanted spraying. 

By spaying and neutering just one male and one female cat, more than 2,000 unwanted births can be prevented in just four years and more than 2 million in 8 years!

We have 2 low cost spay/neuter clinics in our area and King’s Harvest may assist you, if you are low income.

Please call 563-570-4536 for further information.

Temporary and Permanent Placement

There are times when people need assistance with their pets, we attempt to assist with the care of a pet when a person needs to enter a homeless shelter due to inclement weather. This need has been noted in the community. People are choosing to stay on the street with their pet rather than go to a shelter and leave their pet unattended. To assist with this unique problem, King’s Harvest has established a temporary placement program, where the pet will be placed in a boarding facility or a temporary home, until the owner is able to assume the responsibility of the pet, then it will be returned to them. All pets must be spayed or neutered or the owner must agree to have that procedure done while the animal is in the temporary placement. No shelters in the Quad City area allow people to bring their pets with them into the shelter.

Should a person or family find that they are no longer able to care for their pet, King’s Harvest will assist them to find an appropriate forever home for this pet. We will place the pet only after evaluating the pet, including a visit to the vet and vaccinations. All pets placed for permanent adoption will be spayed or neutered.

We would like to thank Melissa and her staff at Terri’s Dog Styling for their assistance with boarding and needed grooming of animals. Next time your pet needs a day at the spa remember Melissa and give her a call!