At the Animal Rescue Foundation's adoption center in Walnut Creek, you'll find many wanted and unwanted pets. Pets whose recession wracked owners had to give them up for lack of a place to keep them or money to feed them.

To stem this ever rising tide, Peggy Mullins and other ARF volunteers have been delivering pet food to needy owners over large portions of the bay area.

“Without me delivering food to the clients I go to, these people probably would not be able to feed their animals” said Mullins. “They're very kind to me and they're 'God bless you. If you didn't come I wouldn't be able to have my cat with me. I would have to take him to the pound. They'd probably put him down.' So they're all just so thankful.”

Famed ARF founder Tony La Russa started the organization because he believes that dogs and cats can give anyone a better life.

“When they have that pet, the quality of life is enhanced," said La Russa. "When that pet is in danger or they are not able to retain it, the effects of that are not just to the animal. It goes to the people.”

Gerald Piper has had his cat Jo Jo for eight years. He said his pet makes life worthwhile. “He's a therapy pet," said Piper. "He's kept me from making a couple of non-reversible decisions.”

Lyndell Clifton called her cat her best friend. If she didn’t have this food delivered to her she would probably have been forced to make a terrible decision.

“I would have to put him in the pound and I just couldn't afford it," said Clifton. "I really like this food.”

Considering the economy and the high foreclosure rate, the demand for food is off the charts according to La Russa. “Now it's really been accentuated. Our phones are ringing two or three hundred times a day with this one issue.”

Over at the Salvation Army in Concord, Major Clayton Gardner has also seen a huge demand for people asking for pet food.

”We now are providing pet food to more than a hundred families a month," explained Gardner. "In over 30 years with the Salvation Army, this is the only place that I've ever served in which we provide pet food.”

And it is because of the Animal Rescue Foundation that the Salvation Army has pet food to supply to their families.

La Russa said the success of ARF in the Bay Area could become a national model. He's already working with selected Peet's Coffee houses in Walnut Creek to collect pet food in barrels for distribution to his clients.

“Full barrels equal full bellies,” said La Russa.

If you would like to donate pet food, you will find more information at the following links.

On The Web:

http://www.arf.net/

http://www.pawssf.org

http://cchumane.org/events.htm