Feeding Pets, Supporting Families: How PAWSitive Pantry is Fighting Pet Hunger

04/01/25 • 45 min

What if feeding your pet meant you couldn’t feed yourself? For thousands of struggling families, that’s reality—and it’s driving heartbreaking surrenders. But one organization is changing the game.

In this episode, Amy Castro talks with Stacey LeBaron, founder of PAWSitive Pantry and host of The Community Cats Podcast, about how her team is tackling pet food insecurity—and helping pets stay in the homes where they’re loved.

You’ll hear about:
• A nonprofit that distributes 140,000+ lbs of pet food annually
• How food access prevents shelter surrenders and supports vet care
• The real reasons people give up their pets—and how to stop it
• Starting local: how to create change in your own community
• Practical tips for partnering with shelters, food banks & volunteers

Resources Mentioned:

Listen now and learn how to help pets and families stay together—because no one should have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their pet.

Comment on this episode! For questions or if you need a reply- please email us at [email protected]

Quick Update: We’re taking a short break and will be back with a batch of fresh episodes starting August 10!
In the meantime, binge your way through 100+ past episodes packed with pet-saving sanity—and maybe even solve that one issue that's driving you (and your pet) nuts.
Catch up, take notes, and we’ll see you soon!

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Resources Mentioned:

Listen now and learn how to help pets and families stay together—because no one should have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their pet.

Comment on this episode! For questions or if you need a reply- please email us at [email protected]

Support the show

📩 Contact: [email protected]

Shopping helps support the show!

Previous Episode

Healing the Guilt of Pet Loss: Letting Go Without Regret

Losing a beloved pet is heartbreaking, but for so many of us, grief is tangled up with guilt. Did I do enough? Was it too soon? Too late? Did I fail them? These thoughts can haunt us, making it even harder to heal.

I know this feeling all too well. When I had to make the devastating decision to euthanize our 34-year-old rescue horse, Cherokee, I found myself overwhelmed with guilt—even after decades of experience in animal rescue. If you’ve ever struggled with these emotions, you’re not alone.

In this episode of Muddy Paws and Hairballs, I sit down with grief experts Ken Dolan-DelVecchio and Nancy Saxton-Lopez, hosts of The Pet Loss Companion podcast and co-authors of The Pet Loss Companion: Healing Advice from Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups. Together, we’re diving deep into:

🐾 Why guilt is a natural part of grieving—and how we can work through it
🐾 The impossible pressure of “perfect timing” and why it never feels right
🐾 How our deep responsibility for our pets can turn into guilt, even when we make the best choices
🐾 The truth about self-forgiveness and how to stop replaying “what if” scenarios
🐾 Ways to honor and remember our pets in a way that brings peace, not regret
🐾 When to seek extra support if guilt is keeping us stuck in grief

If you’ve ever questioned your decisions after losing a pet, this episode is for you. Grief is proof of love, and learning to forgive ourselves is part of healing. Let’s navigate this journey together.

💜 Listen now and take the first step toward releasing guilt and finding peace.

🔗 Resou

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Next Episode

Heartworm Prevention Myths That Could Cost Your Pet’s Life

Heartworm Truths Every Pet Owner Needs to Hear with Dr. Zoo

💔 Heartworm disease is slow, painful, and entirely preventable. So why are pets still dying from it?

In this essential episode of Muddy Paws and Hairballs, Dr. Zoo shares two real-life cases that hit hard: a young German Shepherd in kidney failure at just two years old after his owners stopped prevention, and a rescue terrier whose heart was invaded by worms—leaving euthanasia as the only humane option.

🐾 Here’s what every pet parent needs to understand: Just one mosquito bite can inject microscopic heartworm larvae into your pet. These larvae quietly develop over six months before they’re even detectable—and by the time that lingering cough appears, the damage is often already done.

Adult heartworms don’t just affect the heart. They send offspring into the bloodstream, damaging lungs, liver, and kidneys. And many early signs—like coughing after drinking water—are easy to overlook.

Dr. Zoo also busts the most common heartworm myths:

“My pet lives indoors.”
“We don’t have mosquitoes here.”
“It’s winter—they’re safe now.”
“I use natural remedies.”

Spoiler: None of these provide real protection. If a mosquito can get inside your house, it can reach your pet—and no natural product has been proven to prevent heartworm infection.

💸 Prevention is simple and affordable: around $5–$7 a month.
💔 Treatment is complex and expensive: $1,000–$6,000+, multiple medications, painful injections, and strict cage rest for weeks. Even after treatment, many pets live with permanent heart damage.

👉 Whether it’s a monthly chewable, a topical, or an injection, heartworm prevention isn’t optional—it’s critical. Dr. Zoo walks us through what heartworms r

Comment on this episode! For questions or if you need a reply- please email us at [email protected]

Support the show

📩 Contact: [email protected]

Shopping helps support the show!

Muddy Paws and Hairballs - Feeding Pets, Supporting Families: How PAWSitive Pantry is Fighting Pet Hunger

Transcript

Amy Castro00:00:00.661

What if feeding your pet meant skipping meals yourself ? Unfortunately , it's a heartbreaking reality for countless pet owners . Yet pet food insecurity is an issue that rarely gets the attention it deserves . Every day , people worldwide make impossible choices Do they pay the rent , do they buy their groceries or do they ensure that their beloved pet doesn't go hungry . But one orga