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Our Mission:  To provide food for pets of homeless persons in our community; offer education on pet care and spay/neuter; assist with access to veterinary care; foster respect for animals and the animal/human bond. Help Us Make the Match! A generous donor has offered to match any funds we can raise between now and the Fourth of July up to $1000.00!  You can donate online (securely, of course) using the button below, or mail a check payable to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc. c/o Elizabeth Howard, P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville FL 32604.  These funds will feed a lot of hungry pets. Please help us make our match. Donate Now Pet Food Days Wednesday  is our big pet food day.  It starts with a mid-morning pet food pickup, then re-bagging larger bags into four pound zip-lock containers, then loading everything into our vehicle. Downtown distribution:  Precisely at  2pm  each  Wednesday  we park and distribute pet food...

Holiday Thoughts Holidays can be difficult for anyone, but they are especially hard when you are homeless. Many homeless people can recall when times were better – or worse. If left unattended these feelings can lead to increased anxiety or deep depression.  At  Home   Van   Pet   Care   Project  we try to help by taking extra good  care  of the pets of our homeless friends during the holidays. Each year we have two "parties for the pets", okeep it simple but heartfelt. We fill little bags for both dogs and cats and include canned foods, treats, and toys. There are also cookies for the people. Wish List for  Pet  Parties:  Fancy Feast chicken or fish, Mighty Dog all flavors. Both these items come in small cans which can be used at one meal and don't require refrigeration. We have kitty treats but need treats for the dogs. They like all the Milk Bone types and probably plenty of others. We also need safe toys.  We like...

After the Storm Hurricane Irma came with a vengeance, but the pets and their owners at Grace Marketplace/Dignity Village were prepared.  Thanks to Jon DeCarmine, residents with pets were allowed to hunker down in one of the concrete block buildings on the Grace campus.  Home   Van   Pet   Care   Project  provided dog crates and cat carriers as well as plenty of  pet  food and treats, bowls, extra harnesses and leashes, plastic bags, towels, and kitty litter pans.  HVPCP stayed in constant contact with Grace staff advocate Travis Middleton and others.  Dignity Village resident James H. was a tremendous help in facilitating the setup and communicating with other residents. Protecting pets during the storm required a huge effort from Grace management, Alachua County Animal Services (ACAS), the Red Cross, and local animal rescue groups.  ACAS and the rescues were able to provide safe places not only for local pets but also for pets...

Our Ten-Year Anniversary The other day at Dignity Village a precious little black dog named "Bear" peed on my foot.  I’m sure it was a “thank you” for the food I had brought him. It made me laugh and I was glad I had worn my oldest shoes. A day when I can laugh and feel grateful is a good day in my book, especially a day when I’m distributing pet food to dogs and cats of our homeless friends. Unfortunately when I returned a few days later, I learned that Bear had been stolen. He is a six year old, neutered, long hair black Pomeranian. He was with his owner all his life. He is not at Animal Services. It is a sad fact of homeless life that “things” (including living beings) are stolen. Try to imagine that you leave your beloved pet tied at your campsite while you go into the dining hall (no pets) to eat. When you return, your little dog is gone. Part of our job is to help keep pets with their people. Could you volunteer to befriend a person and her or his pet? Perhaps you c...