The Caplan-Bensley Foundation's (CBF) overall goal is to help families in need nourish their beloved pet-dogs at home, keeping them out of a shelter.
Our Jazzy’s Place initiative was established in 2013 to provide individuals and families in need - along with their canine companions - a safe, comfortable and well-nourished life on earth.
The program’s primary objective is to make complementary dog food available to those facing difficult times, so that no family ever has to abandon their beloved pet. Both owners and their lifelong pet-dogs can now live comfortably together, thereby “Saving both ends of the Leash”
Jazzy’s Place supplements human food banks with pet-food. Food bank contributors can now have greater confidence that their donations will benefit both families and their pets in times of hardship. Now families will not have to take food off the table to feed their pet-dogs.
CBF believes the most optimized and cost-effective distribution channel to help those in need is through the Feeding America program and their network of regional Food Banks supporting local food pantries.
The Caplan-Bensley Foundation has developed an efficient distribution method for delivering dog food to families in need that are compatible with existing human food accounting and distribution practices. By establishing proper audit and controls, we are best able to channel grant awards to participating pantries for the benefit of individuals, families and their pet-dogs.
This program has since been adopted and successfully implemented by a number of food banks, and continues to add Feeding America members. Food banks across the country have been adding new pantries each year expanding their base of dog-food recipients.
We have recently initiated a complementary program with the Colorado Pet Pantry. This cooperation has added both food banks and nonprofit groups in Colorado, and in turn, has helped a considerable number of individuals, and families with their pet-dogs.
The Colorado Pet Pantry partners with local Food Banks, churches, and other nonprofit groups to leverage clients that are already vetted, significantly reducing work and administrative costs.
Most food banks are space constrained, and prioritize feeding individuals and families especially during this time of food inflation and insecurity. The CBF is seeking to establish complementary initiatives similar to the Colorado program that would provide dog food.
When people experience hardships, they often are forced to choose between feeding themselves, their loved ones, or their pet. By giving grants that provide dog food to those in need, Jazzy’s Place provides an immediate and lasting solution to those individuals and families facing this dilemma.
Keeping dogs out of shelters not only saves the life of the dog, but also brings a huge relief to the owner who can enjoy living with their canine companion and continue to receive the great benefits of that bond. This enables dog owners to care for their beloved life-long pet for the remainder of its life, rather than going to a shelter, or being homeless with an unknown fate.
Jazzy's PLACE Dog Food Initiative
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Stories from a food pantry manager:
Before the opening of Jazzy’s Place, we use to hear so many sad stories of how difficult it was to support their dogs. Now since the inception of Jazzy’s Place, we hear so many wonderful happy stories and their continual thank you for saving their dogs.
- We have a new client who came in very hesitantly for food. He had just been laid off from a job of many years. He was extremely concerned about himself, his wife and his two children having enough to eat. We were, of course, happy to help him with that. While he was registering, one of the volunteers asked him if he had a dog. Tears came to his eyes and he said they did, but they were looking for a home for the dog as they couldn’t afford to continue to feed her. When we told him we had a dog food section called Jazzy’s Place and that we would supply the food, his eyes lit up with relief. He said that they had had the dog since the birth of their first child who was now eight and that he was so happy that he wouldn’t have to tell his son that they couldn’t keep their dog.
- An older woman who uses our food pantry, as well as Jazzy’s Place, was scheduled to have an operation. She came to us and told us that her medical cost for prescriptions was going to be higher for a while. She said that if we weren’t there to help her with her dog food costs, she would never have been able to keep her dog. She said she had neighbors to help her with the care of her dog, but not with food.
- A mother comes to the pantry with her four children on a fairly regular basis. Three of her boys had found a sick, abandoned dog. They called the shelter and were able to arrange for the dog to have treatment. They knew that they would be unable to afford food for the dog but they also knew about our dog food program so were able to keep the dog. The dog and the children are thrilled and thankful for Jazzy’s Place.
- One of our clients at the pantry is a single mom. She comes in with her daughter. They always wanted a dog but knew there was no way they could afford to feed a dog. Once they saw that Jazzy’s Place had been established at Country Kids, they were able to go to the shelter and adopt a dog. Now all three of them are enjoying each other thanks to Jazzy’s Place.
- This is our family dog, Luna, who is a great addition to our
family. I found that her original owner left her alone all day &
into the night. She adjusted well to our family and was only
with us a few months when I lost my job. I thought we might
have to give her away as I was afraid I could not afford to
feed her. I found my local food pantry, Country Kids 4H
Food Pantry, could help us with food for our Luna through
a program called Jazzy’s Place. I am so grateful that the
Country Kids 4H Food Pantry has such a wonderful way to
help my family including my Luna. I couldn’t bare the
thought of losing her and my family is so much better with
Luna in it.