Amelia-based nonprofit donates dog food to Eastern Kentucky families affected by flooding
By Danielle Dindak
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EASTERN, Kentucky (WLWT) — Flood waters ravaged Eastern Kentucky sweeping away many homes, flipping lives upside down and leaving people along with their pets with nowhere to turn.
The Amelia-based nonprofit ‘All Dogs Come From Heaven Rescue’ is trying to give families with furry friends one less thing to worry about by donating high-end pet food. On Sunday, William Coplen and his wife, Margaret, packed up a yellow box truck with nearly 4,000 pounds of supplies.
“We do a lot of disaster work, but the trick is if it’s so bad we need to get down there, what level of support do they need,” William said.
After a family loses everything caring for their pets might not be their top priority or in the budget.
“We are taking the truck to Eastern Kentucky to help service the shelters and people there that have no way to feed their animals right now,” Margaret said.
‘All Dogs Come From Heaven Rescue’ fills up its truck and heads to places after a natural disaster strikes.
“This trip is about 4,000 pounds, the trip on Thursday by the United Pet Fund will be 6,800 pounds, and then again next Sunday, we’ll bring down another 4,000 pounds,” Margaret said.
Before the Eastern Kentucky flood, the nonprofit sent supplies to Goshen Township, which was hit by a tornado in early July.
Through their volunteer work, the Coplen’s found many families were forced to surrender their pets because they no longer have the means to support them. Other times, the husband and wife duo spotted dogs and cats roaming around lost and shipped off to an overcrowded shelter. Many times never reconnected with their families again.
“The one thing they can’t lose now is their furry friend, and that’s all they can cling onto right now,” William said.
Hours after the flood, the non-profit posted on its Facebook page asking the community for help filling the truck. Margaret and William said the donations have been steady but must continue in the next few months, if not years.
“This is going to go on for two years, and we will be going back down there not just once or twice but not till it’s done,” William said.
Anyone wanting to donate dog food can do so by dropping it off in Amelia or at Milton’s The Prospect Hill Tavern near downtown Cincinnati.
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