Every year, millions of animals enter shelters across the U.S., and many never find their way out. According to the ASPCA, over 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters annually, including 3.2 million cats and 3.1 million dogs. Shelters continue to struggle with limited food supplies and overcrowding.

Volunteers at Centre County PAWS in State College, PA, care for hundreds of homeless cats and dogs each year, many of whom arrive malnourished, scared, or abandoned. With rising food costs and fewer donations following the pandemic, the shelter urgently needs help keeping every bowl filled.

That’s where we come in. As part of our Penn State MGMT-453 Creativity & Innovation in Business course, we’re hosting a virtual food drive to raise funds to help support these neglected and abandoned animals. These animals deserve a decent meal and shelter in the upcoming holiday season, and 100% of your donation goes directly to the shelter to purchase pet food for animals in need.

Every Dollar Makes a Difference

Just a $10 donation can feed a dog or cat for several days. A $50 donation helps fill an entire shelf at the shelter pantry.

❤️ Why It Matters

Homeless pets rely entirely on shelters like PAWS for survival. Once an animal loses its home, it’s forced to fend for itself, often going hungry, getting sick, or suffering from exposure. Without shelters and community donations, many don’t survive. Those that do often reproduce on the streets, creating litters of homeless puppies and kittens who face the same fate. Without intervention, the cycle of abandonment and overpopulation only grows worse, making shelters like PAWS a critical lifeline for breaking that cycle and giving every animal a chance at life. Food donations for these poor animals mean more than full stomachs - they mean stability, healing, and the opportunity to find a forever home.

When resources run low, shelters like PAWS are forced to make heartbreaking choices — deciding which animals to feed, which to medicate, and, sometimes, which they simply can’t save. Across the U.S., more than 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized every year due to overcrowding and lack of resources. That’s over 2,500 cats and dogs every single day whose lives could have been spared with enough food, space, and care. Every can of food and every dollar donated helps PAWS avoid those impossible decisions and turn “no room left” into “one more life saved.”

How You Can Help

Together, we can turn compassion into action and give every cat and dog at PAWS the care they deserve.

Feed hope. Fill bowls. Save lives.