Furbish Thrift CEO William Harrison Jr. at the opening of a new Pet Food Pantry
William Harrison Jr. beams as he exclaims, “I feel like a kid on Christmas morning!”
Harrison, the CEO of the nonprofit Furbish Thrift, stands near the reason for his enthusiasm. It’s a warm July morning at the Manchester offices of the regional agency on aging, Senior Connections, and a celebratory group has gathered in the lobby to witness the opening of a cabinet filled with pet food and supplies.
The cabinet is the first satellite pet pantry established by Furbish. It serves a largely hidden community need, helping older residents who love their pets but are inhibited by a fixed income or physical disabilities in caring for their animals and, sometimes, themselves.
From its opening in May 2023, Furbish Thrift has grown like a rambunctious puppy or precocious kitten. Harrison founded the retail store to generate a revenue stream that he could channel to local nonprofit animal welfare organizations. In its first year, the organization donated $40,000 to the animal care community, and in 2024 Harrison expects to give a total of $100,000. “We’ve probably gotten 300 stray cats vaccinated, spayed and neutered,” says Harrison, who owns three rescues: dogs Lillie and Emma, and Billy, a cat. “And we’ve had a free clinic where 90 dogs got their checkups and [vaccinations].”
Furbish has distributed more than 32,000 pounds of pet food in the past year.
Harrison established Furbish’s first pantry for four-footed friends in front of the store last year. Before long, patrons were acquiring an average of 50 pounds of pet food each business day (Wednesday through Sunday); that’s risen to around 100 pounds daily. Furbish has distributed more than 32,000 pounds of pet food in the past year, the majority of it through 12 community food pantries established by other local nonprofits assisting underserved communities and stocked by Furbish twice a month.
“We’ve now rented a space in the same shopping center [as Furbish], which is where we store our pet food,” Harrison says. “We buy 75-pound bags, and our volunteers bag it up in smaller 2- and 5-pound bags.”
The pantry at Senior Connections was inspired by a conversation Harrison had last November with his friends Lisa Cumbey and Kim Bolger. They discussed the number of pets relinquished by older owners who could no longer afford to care for them, and the topic resonated with Bolger.
As she tells the story, a dozen or so years ago, her parents’ standard poodle died young due to cancer. “I phoned them one day,” Bolger says, humorously imitating their broad Boston accents, “and I had Mom on one extension and Dad on the other, and they were telling me, ‘Honey, we’re too old for another dwog, but we need another dwog, and we fownd one in Maine, but we cahn’t go get her unless we have someone to take care of her after we’re gwan.’”
At the time, they were both elderly but in excellent health. Their new dog, Abby, seemed to understand she should be gentle with them. Bolger’s mother died in 2015 and her father in 2018.
“My dad got through this grief by taking care of Abby, and I got through mine by needing to take care of Abby every day,” Bolger says. “And she was magnificent, the most elegant dog you can imagine.”
Kim Bolger funded the new pantry through a grant in honor of her late dog Abby.
Inspired by the talk with Harrison and Cumbey about older pet owners, Bolger made a $10,000 grant in honor of Abby, who died last year, to fund the establishment of the pantry at Senior Connections. Furbish will keep the big cabinet stocked with food, litter and other pet-centric equipment.
Senior Connections Executive Director Amy Strite welcomes the contribution. The group provides services in eight regional localities. “This is an acknowledgement of the importance of the relationship of people and their pets, and the impact on their lives,” she says. “It makes a difference around their health, it mitigates a sense of isolation and loneliness, and prevents them from making the choice of feeding themselves or feeding their pets.”
The Furbish pantries have proven to be an excellent model, says Laura Cotterman, chair of Furbish’s board, who has 20 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising and works with numerous animal-focused nonprofits. “No application process, accessible 24/7, and, through partnerships, we’ve found that the pet food program literally opens doors.”
Strite explains that Senior Connections partners with local hunger relief nonprofit Feed More to assess the needs of older clients, make sure they receive meals and ascertain their well-being. “Some clients in marginalized communities regard agencies with suspicion,” Strite says, “but assisting with their pets is a trust builder. You ask about their dog, and then they tell you the story about how they got the dog, and then you’re having a conversation.”
She says Senior Connections recently received a call from a protective services office asking for assistance with a housebound older woman who allowed her companion cat in bed with her. Problem was, the cat had fleas. “We got her some flea medicine,” Strite recalls, “and that led to [asking], ‘Can we get you some food?’ And so [because we helped] the cat, the lady was willing to accept further assistance.”
And as for Bolger, she has been claimed by a 2-year-old bichon frise-poodle mix. “Willow — wild, wild Willow,” she says with a laugh.
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