Good Works: Heart2Heart Pet Lifeline keeps animals with their families through hardships

When life becomes difficult, and families face financial and other hardships, a pet may be their only comfort. Yet pet owners in that position often must choose between feeding their families or feeding their pets. Consequently, many will see no other option than to surrender their pet to a shelter, leaving both the human and pet worse off than before.

As part of its mission to keep pets healthy and in loving homes, Heart2Heart Pet Lifeline provides free pet food to area families facing hardships, distributing food through two free pet food pantries in La Crosse and in association with the Hunger Task Force’s free food distribution. Last year alone, Heart2Heart helped 527 pet families and more than 1,000 pets at Hunger Task Force events.

As Heart2Heart sees an increasing demand for its services, board president Kalla Kalloway hopes the community can help bolster its food supply. The organization’s needs are currently listed in the La Crosse Giving Catalog.

What has surprised you most since you began working with Heart2Heart?

I am surprised how a small group of committed women with a cause can impact people’s lives and benefit our community. With careful planning, research, brainstorming, collaboration with Coulee Region Humane Society, and development of guidelines and strategies to fundraise, we have made our dream a reality, successfully helping more pet owners each year and adding appropriate services that expand our mission.

I am surprised that we were able to rally ongoing support from donors in our community who validate our very unique approach to animal rescue.

I am not surprised to realize that the need for our services is great, and requests for our services are expanding.

What is your own experience with pets?

I’ve had pets throughout my life. My mom was always bringing home strays, dogs, cats, a parakeet. They enhanced our lives, giving us joy and responsibility and compassion. They saw us through some lonely and confusing times for our family. I now have two cats. Francis and Fern. My three siblings and five nephews have a total of 23 cats currently sharing our lives.

My dog, Gidget, passed away years ago, and afterward I fostered dogs through an animal rescue in the Twin Cities, where I lived at the time. Almost 40 foster dogs passed in and out of my life, and I learned the importance of recognizing each dog as an individual with both physical and emotional needs. Knowing the impact of pets in my own life, it is easy to understand how they become family and sometimes all that tethers us socially and emotionally to a healthy existence.

What’s your most memorable experience with Heart2Heart?

The most memorable story is about our first client (we’ll call her Jen). Within a day of going live as Heart2Heart, Jen’s dog, Buster, was hit by a car. Overwhelmed and heartbroken with what she imagined would be a large vet bill, Jen brought Buster in to surrender to Coulee Region Humane Society. Following our grant guidelines and eligibility requirements, we awarded Jen and Buster our first grant.

He was treated at a vet and went back to his loving home. With funds generously donated by early Heart2Heart supporters, one dog was kept out of the shelter, and one family was kept together. Heart2Heart’s very first success confirmed that we were on the right track. And it opened the door to the more than 300 pet families who have received grants/services for urgent medical care, emergency boarding, spay/neuter help, pet fees associated with transitional housing for unhoused pet owners, and pet food.