An Oneonta doctor has focused her caring toward pet owners struggling to fill food bowls because of the recession.
Dr. Joan Bachorik is collecting dog and cat food to give to area residents who need help feeding their pets.
Bachorik directs the nonprofit project 2009 Harvest for Animals and is part of a five-member team.
Bachorik said she started the program in January and made the first delivery in February. About 800 pounds of food each month have been distributed, helping 80 animals, she said, but now the team seeks help meeting demand.
``We're looking for people to donate food,'' she said Tuesday.
The project aims to prevent pet abandonment and relinquishment of animals to shelters, which are full of animals needing homes, she said.
Bachorik said she was motivated to start Harvest for Animals because she wanted to see donations that were of ``unquestionable benefit to the animals,'' adding she won't accept cash donations or checks.
With food donations, she said, animal lovers will know their contributions are going directly to feeding animals.
Patsy Gentry of Norwich said she is grateful to the program, which has helped feed her rescued pets _ six cats and two dogs. Economic stress and the rising costs of pet food meant difficulty buying food, she said.
``I didn't know what I was going to do,'' Gentry said. ``It's very important to make sure that they are fed and given the best of care, because their lives didn't start easy.''
Gentry said she was ``excited'' to be a recipient and drove to Oneonta to pick up the food.
Bachorik said she has three horses and two dogs.
``I'm one of those animal nuts,'' she said. ``All my animals have been rescue cases.''
Bachorik said she and team member Lisa Gordon have been providing about 60 percent of the food. When making some deliveries in Oneonta, Bachorik said, she has seen some animals with ribs showing.
Recipients from outside Oneonta have to pick up the food, and they have driven from as far away as Worcester and Unadilla, she said.
The team has been trying to reach the most-needy cases, she said, by contacting area food pantries. Pet recipients have included dogs, cats, turtles, fish, parrots, rabbits and a mule, Bachorik said.
Old Roy, Purina and other brands are acceptable, she said, and bags and cans may be dropped off at her office at 37 Dietz St. in Oneonta.
Pet owners must apply for the program. The application asks for types and names of pets and why assistance is needed.
Eligible pets must be spayed or neutered, Bachorik said.
The Pikes Peak Pet Pantry in Colorado Springs, Colo., was helpful in setting up the local program, Bachorik said. She wasn't able to find a similar pet pantry in New York state.
The pantry in Colorado started in September 2007, after the number of pet owners needing short-term help providing for their animals rose.
Since Jan. 1, the pantry has given away 15,418 pounds of pet food, its website said.
