Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pets Without Walls Program

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pets Without Walls will aim to provide warmth to the pets of San Diego’s homeless next week.  

For a third year, thanks to a generous donation, 100 pets residing in temporary homeless shelters will snuggle into new sweaters and toasty blankets to battle the winter temperatures.  

Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Pets Without Walls program will do a Cozy Critter Drop-Off at Father Joe’s Neil Good Day Center (located at 299 17th Street San Diego, CA 92101) next Tuesday, February 9th at 9:00 a.m. with cozy gifts for both people and pups.

For the last four years, Helen Woodward Animal Center has been honored to join efforts to assist homeless families by keeping their furry companions fed and healthy.  

Before the COVID-19 shut-downs, the Pets Without Walls Program made bi-weekly visits to shelters headed by Alpha Project, Father Joe’s, Interfaith in Mission Valley and Family Health Center in San Diego.

The program provides health checks, microchipping, preventative medical care, important vaccinations, flea and tick medication, and pet food (through an extension of its AniMeals program), along human clothing and blanket donations from the Center’s Orphaned Object resale store.  

The CDC restrictions and the move of many homeless shelters to the Convention Center has limited our ability to do regular visits but Pets Without Walls but the program has continued providing as much as we were allowed (with multiple visits and drop-offs).

In 2020 Helen Woodward Animal Center provided medical care to 251 animals through 17 visits to the following facilities:  Interfaith, Family Health Center, Oceanside Senior Center, Alpha  Project

Now, with anticipated rains and brisk evening temperatures, the Center’s Pets Without Walls program will repeat previous years’ special donation event with a special drop-off providing pet supplies specifically aimed at keeping these beloved pets protected from the elements (100 warm sweatshirts to dogs of all sizes).

Helen Woodward Animal Center will also provide pet food, as well as, 100 drawstring  tote bags, and about 400 care kits with granola bars, water, masks, hand sanitizer, along with coats and blankets to human friends in need.

For more information visit animalcenter.org