The Pet Postcard Project - Arts & Crafts That Saves Lives

BY | December 18 | COMMENTS PUBLISHED BY

Many animal welfare organizations involve rescuing pets from neglectful living situations either in broken homes or on the streets. These pooches, kittens and other animals are typically malnourished, being denied meals full of nutrients integral to their well-being.The mission of

The Pet Postcard Project

is to ensure that all homeless and neglected animals who are rescued by shelters and humane societies are provided with food.

Who they arepet-postcard-project

The project involves grassroots arts-and-crafts that raise awareness about food shortages in shelters around the country. It was started by Nikki Moustaki, one of the nation's leading pet experts, whose books and articles have been translated into five languages and sold more than half a million copies globally.The "Pet Postcards" for the project are homemade and handmade by pet owners and sentย throughย snail mail. Each card that's sent earns food for shelter dogs and cats, and so far the initiative has received thousands of unique submissions. Participants are asked to include funny captions with their images that are creative confessions, doggy wishes, wise advice and silly excuses for pet accidents.The Pet Postcard Project is entirely run by Moustaki from her personal laptop, where she sits with her two dogs who she rescued from animal shelters.

What they dopet-postcard-project-2

People may be wondering how their postcards help feed animals that are part of the project. According to Moustaki, a pet food company pledges a certain amount of food for every postcard that she receives. Sometimes the vendors agree to provide a single meal, which is roughly one-third of a pound, but others have delivered much more - up to 128 pounds!Once the card has been received, volunteers "adopt" specific shelters to campaign for food, which lastsย one to twoย months. In the past, these individuals have been high school students, Girl Scout troops, college clubs or local school districts. For the length of the assignment, they share submitted cards through social networks to raise awareness about The Pet Postcard Project.At the end of the monthly campaign, the cards are tallied and winning shelters are sent food and other nutritional products. Every group has been successful in providing meals to pets who are in dire need of recovery. The Pet Postcard Project has received more than 35,000 submissions from animal lovers around the U.S.

Was this article helpful?