Henry’s Helping Paws, co-founded last year by State Sen. Andy Dinniman and the Pennsylvania Veterinary Foundation, provides invaluable pet-food assistance for three senior centers in Chester County, writes Mari Schaefer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Elderly owners who are struggling financially often set aside their own needs instead of letting their beloved four-legged friends go without the basics. Sometimes, this lack of means forces them to give up their pets.

According to an Open Journal of Animal Sciences study from 2015, around 1.2 million pets are surrendered every year. About a third of the owners who have had to give up their companions said access to free or low-cost food would have helped them keep their pets.

So, Henry’s Helping Paws provides food that helps the pets and their owners stay together and avoid the heartbreak of being separated.

“We were the pilot program,” said Julie Gaudan, executive director of the Phoenixville Area Senior Center.

There, the program currently helps around 20 low-income seniors with food for their furry friends.

After its success in Phoenixville, the program has now expanded to West Chester and Coatesville.

Read more about Henry’s Helping Paws in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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