Animals that have been displaced or abandoned in the wake of Hurricane Dorian will be getting some help thanks to a Chatham-Kent pet store.
Two workers at the Pet Valu in Tilbury recently made a sizeable donation to the dogs and cats who have been left homeless after the hurricane-ravaged through the Caribbean island last week.
When store manager Beverlee Lachine and employee Melissa Chenier were approached by a local animal rescue group about donating food, they knew they had to pitch in, even if it meant spending money out of their own pockets.
"We're both big animal lovers, we both do kitten rescue, so we both have a lot of compassion when it comes to animal's that need help," said Lachine.
They were originally asked to donate any bags of food that were considered write-offs, but according to Lachine, the store was in the middle of inventory, which prohibited them from writing anything off. Instead, they thought of another way they could help.
Lachine said Chenier was the brains behind the operation and came up with the idea to use their own money to purchase food that had been placed in the clearance section. The pair was able to buy $500 worth of food for $200, getting them about a dozen large bags.
According to Chenier, the mission then took on a life of its own.
"We had a bunch of product that we were marking down and I figured I'd donate what I can," Chenier explained. "I started grabbing bags and next thing I knew, I turned around and there were more bags, it was just kind of a ripple effect, once I starting bringing up bags of food. It was just supposed to be for dog food then I said, 'Well, maybe they'll find some cats along the way.'"
The food will now be taken down to the Bahamas, where many animals were left behind during and after the storm. Chenier said it pulled at her heartstrings to think of the conditions that the animals are in and although she wishes she could donate more, she's happy she got to contribute what she could.
"I just hope that everybody finds their home and gets back home to their original owners," said Chenier. "Those that don't have a home to get back to I hope they find an amazing loving family to adopt them."