When pet owners are struggling, financially or otherwise, we hope they know they can turn to Lenawee Humane Society. Not to surrender their pet, as most would think, but for assistance so their pet can stay exactly where he or she belongs – in their loving home.
This wasn’t always the case. Years ago, our tiny organization barely had enough resources to help the homeless pets in our care. In 2012, an animal lover by the name of Dave Pearcy changed all that and set Lenawee Humane Society on a pro-active path to help keep pets in their homes and out of the shelter.
Dave discovered that regulations at a local business required them to throw away damaged bags of pet food because they couldn’t be sold. Discouraged by this fact and knowing there were homeless pets in need of that food, he contacted our humane society with an offer.
If we could find a place to store weekly truckloads of pet food, Dave offered to not only make the deliveries himself, but he also offered to purchase storage containers in order to keep the newly acquired kibble moisture-free and safe from rodents, both at our shelter and at the local business. It was a win-win for everyone.
As the weekly truckloads of life-saving morsels from Dave began to roll in, we soon realized we had a new problem on our hands. We were accumulating more pet food than we were using and we needed to come up with a solution that made sense.
Dave inspired us to think outside the box, thus helping launch Lenawee County’s first and only community pet food bank. When families contacted us, broken-hearted because they couldn’t afford to feed their pets, we could give them hope in the form of a taped-up bag of food, keeping their pet out of our shelter and at home where they belong.
Dave Pearcy sadly passed away on November 29, 2020, leaving behind an incredible legacy of life-saving that is still thriving today. Dave’s passion for animals, especially his dog Maggie, and his drive to make the world a better place, has kept more than 400 families together so far, saving countless lives in the process.
According to Dave’s daughter, Debbie Case, their entire family has been passionate about animals for as long as she can remember. From rescuing stray dogs, to helping lost ducklings and abandoned baby raccoons, Debbie said her father would always jump to the rescue. “He would never say, ‘I hope someone else can help them,’” she told us. Her father would think of a solution, make sure it was the right solution, then make it happen.
Today, our entire community is benefiting from Dave’s dedication to animals. To honor his wonderful legacy, we are proud to announce that our pet food bank has officially been named the Dave Pearcy Food Bank and will continue to be a life-saving resource for pet owners in need.
