From the beginning, she said the mission of the nonprofit organization was helping to keep families—including four-legged members—united during difficult financial times.
About the owner
Bindl first fell in love with animal care while working a part-time job with the Williamson County Animal Shelter. It was at the shelter she discovered a need for a pet food pantry providing food and much-needed supplies.
“[The shelter] receives a whole bunch of different donations, and unfortunately, they have to protect the shelter dogs and so if beds are too large and they can't be washed and sanitized properly then the shelter’s unable to use them. It’s the same thing with opened bags of dog food,” Bindl said.
With a desire to keep these donations from going into the trash, Bindl took a small bag of food home and wrote a post on a Georgetown community Facebook group, offering the food to anyone in need.
“Basically, my inbox was flooded. I had a whole bunch of different stories of people telling me what has happened to them and how much this little bag of food could help their family at this time,” Bindl said. “When I realized that there is a need in our community I began doing a [pet food pantry] from my front yard.”
Originally, Bindl would leave bags of food on her porch for people who’d reached out for assistance. As Bindl’s front yard food pantry grew and people donated different items, she began organizing supplies into categories, such as bowls and toys.
She also began finding other sources of donations, including damaged items from Costco and other big box stores. Then, she partnered with different boutiques and companies like Woof Gang Dog Bakery, which provided the pantry with bulk food orders.
In December, Bindl expanded from her front yard to a brick-and-mortar location at 1603 Northwest Blvd., Georgetown, that’s staffed with roughly 10 volunteers.
What they offer
Furrbaby Food Pantry offers a variety of pet-related items in its self-service room, with dry food being the only item that requires an email request prior to pick up.
Available items include:
- Formula and bottles for animals who are bottle fed
- Dog leashes, harnesses and collars
- Pet treats
- Cat litter
- Wet and dry pet food
- Beds and blankets
- Kennels and crates
- Bowls
- Shampoo
Currently, the food pantry serves about 300 people a month. These items aren’t limited to Georgetown or Williamson County residents, but are available Sun.-Fri. from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. to anyone in need as well as people fostering kittens and puppies. Donations are accepted 24/7.
Furrbaby Food Pantry also works alongside Helping Hands of Georgetown when it provides sack lunches to people experiencing food insecurity in downtown Georgetown as well as other local food pantries in Leander, Liberty Hill, Bartlett and Jarrell, Bindl said.
Additionally, Furrbaby Food Pantry holds monthly education courses that provide pet owners free training advice.
Notable quote
“[A pet food pantry] is a passion I would have never known about if my inbox wasn’t flooded [with requests] on that one day,” Bindl said.
What’s next
Bindl has a few plans for expansion.
The organization’s most immediate goal is to create a mobile food pantry that can visit different parts of the region.
“[Furrbaby Food Pantry] hopes to get a van. The van would be fully stocked up so volunteers can easily hop in and provide resources to a location,” Bindl said.
Its second goal is to expand the brick-and-mortar operation into the space next door to create a store-front feel where people can enter and explore different sections of donated goods.
She said eventually she hopes to create a storefront that can serve as a resource center for pet families.
