Gwinnett animal shelter hosting food drive for pets affected by tornado

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Since the tornado in Oklahoma, many victims have been forced to turn their pets over to the animal shelter in the city of Moore.

Now, that shelter is struggling to feed them all. A Gwinnett County shelter is stepping up to help fill the need.

"The people that are victims of the tornado that still have their animals are having a hard time piecing their lives back together, much less feed their animals," said Chip Moore, director of the Gwinnett County animal shelter.

Moore said the animal shelter in the city of Moore, Okla., is inundated with owners who can no longer care for pets. He said the shelter's space is limited, and the food supply is dwindling.

"You've got Red Cross, which is an awesome thing. You've got all these agencies that go and help the people. Well, who helps the animals?" Moore asked.

Moore said his staff came up with an answer to that question and is holding a donation drive.

"The main thing that is needed is food," Moore said. "Another thing that is desperately needed is collars, leashes, things of that nature."

The drive began Friday and already, the bags and cans have begun piling up as volunteers carried them in.

"People don't have houses. They can't care for them anymore, and this is one small way we can help," said Don Bradley, who brought in a donation.

Bradley's small offering was actually pretty big, bringing in two 30-pound bags of dog food.

"We have two pound puppies we adopted from an animal control shelter, and they're just like our kids," Bradley said.

Bradley hopes his donation will help the shelter get by until the families can be reunited.

The Gwinnett County Animal Shelter will accept donations from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. through Tuesday.

They will be open on Memorial Day, as well.

WSBTV