Pet Care Services At Union Gospel Mission This Week

PORTLAND, OR — Though many well-intentioned organizations do a lot to help homeless folks across the metro area find work, housing, and medical services, that same help doesn't always extend to what are sometimes the most prominent and important elements in those people's lives: their pets.

To augment the help it already provides, the Union Gospel Mission is partnering with the Pongo Fund this week to provide pet pampering in front of the UGM location in downtown Portland — giving homeless pets the same care and consideration UGM is already known for giving its human clientele.

By partnering with the Pongo Fund, a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated entirely to fighting homeless pet hunger, UGM expands its own objective to also encompass the furry friends that often mean more than anything to their owners.

This week, on Thursday, May 31, the Pongo Fund Street Clinic will setup in front of the UGM located at 15 N.W. Third Ave. to provide basic veterinary services from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Service signups have been open for a little while now, but UGC officials say there is still time to get more names on the list.

“Pongo Fund has been a great partner with us in serving the homeless," said Lori Quinney, Union Gospel Mission’s food service coordinator and one of the organizers of the event. "Pets are very special companions to many of our homeless neighbors. We wanted to extend services, and hopefully this can be a regular event at Union Gospel Mission."

To learn more about or donate to the Pongo Fund, visit ThePongoFund.org.

For more on the Union Gospel Mission, including how to donate and volunteer, visit UGMPortland.org.

Image via Union Gospel Mission