For The Love Of Paws has provided 180,000 lbs of pet food in 2022. The nonprofit organization provides pet food to people in need, such as senior citizens, the disabled, and veterans.
The organization is known for providing a Paws Pet Sanctuary, which takes in pets when seniors can no longer care for them. It’s been a successful program since it started.
Another program they run is a mobile pet food pantry called Paws Meals on Wheels, which makes stops in Fellsmere, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Micco, Palm Bay, and elsewhere.
For The Love of Paws also runs a free spay and neuter program for people who qualify, which prevents unwanted puppies and kittens. Unfortunately, many unwanted pets end up in shelters and pounds or as ferals and strays.
In July 2019, the organization donated additional Pet Emergency Oxygen Kits to the local firehouses after Ted Pankiewicz, Jr. Director of “For The Love Of Paws,” saw a picture one day showing police and fire rescue resuscitating four dogs from a home fire.
On January 12, 2021, the Senior Pet Sanctuary was honored by the Board of County Commissioners in Indian River County. In March 2021, the organization was honored by the City of Sebastian for its volunteer work.
They have also earned the Indian River County/Vero Beach Human Society’s 2016 Joan G. Carlson Animal Protection Award. In addition, For The Love of Paws received the 211 Community Helpline’s 2019 Animal Welfare Organization of the Year Award.
Last April, A Fur Real Kitty was donated to For the Love of Paws Thrift Store, and Operations Director Ted S. Pankiewicz, Jr. thought it would be a great donation for a local senior facility. So, they brought the Fur Real robotic kitty to Solaris Senior Living on Indian River Blvd in Vero Beach.
A week later, they were told that it went over so well with their memory care patients that they had to change the batteries several times in just the first week.
For more information, visit the For The Love Of Paws website or call the at 772-539-2417. They are located at 12198 CR-512 in Fellsmere, Florida.
