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Lifelong animal lover starting local pet food drive

Klint Lowry/SUNCOAST

Lisa Bekiaris and her dogs, Cheese, left, and Daisy Lou are all smiles at their home in Hudson. But knowing many fellow animal lovers these days are having a hard time providing for their pets, Bekiaris is looking to local businesses to provide drop-off points as she starts up an ongoing pet food donation drive.

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: July 31, 2009

Updated:

All her life, Lisa Bekiaris has been passionate about animals. As a girl, she raised chickens and entered them in 4-H Club contests. She's always had pets, usually several at once.

And she has always been a defender of animal rights, and their well-being. She's the type of person who if she sees a dog tied up outside on a hot day, will stop to complain to the owner.

So a few weeks ago, when Bekiaris read a story in The Suncoast News about the growing number of local residents who are finding it necessary to give up pets they can no longer afford to care for, it bothered her to the point of wanting to do something about it.

"That shouldn't be," Bekiaris said. "People shouldn't be giving them up because they can't afford to feed them."

Like a lot of people who get that someone-ought-to-do-something-about-this feeling, her first thought was to be that someone. The question was how to start.

"I've been trying to do something for a long time, but I don't know where to begin," she said. "I'm just a pet owner who feels sorry for all these animals who don't have a voice."

Bekiaris decided the best course of action was to start small, do what she could and go from there. She is now in the process of putting together an ongoing pet food drive for the West Pasco area.

Her aim is to create a constant source that can replenish the pet food supply at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Suncoast, in New Port Richey, and, she hopes, those of other animal shelters in the area.

Contacting local business owners with whom she is acquainted, Bekiaris plans to hold monthly pet food drive days, using the businesses on a rotating basis as drop-off points. The first pet food drive is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Body Therapy Retreat Day Spa, 9948 Grove Drive, Hudson. Bekiaris will be there to accept donations of pet food, which she will then turn over to the SPCA.

Bekiaris said she decided to start by asking for donations of pet food.

"People are more apt, I believe, to donate an item, like pet food or supplies for pets than they would money," she said. Eventually, once the drive gets better established, she would like to have fundraiser events.

In the meantime, she added, people can bring pet food of any kind; it isn't limited to cats and dogs. Bird food, reptile food even fish food will all be welcome. The aim is to help as many pet owners as possible keep their animals.

She isn't particularly concerned with trying to see how much food she can collect in a single day. Part of her drive will be to get out the word to remind folks that they don't have to wait for her next drop-off day, that they can donate pet food to animal shelters any time.

She also isn't concerned about keeping all the credit to herself. Besides donations, Bekiaris is interested hearing from anyone who wants to get involved, who might have ideas or expertise that could help make this effort grow. She would like to see something of an "animal Red Cross," she said.

"I think that would be a cool idea, where you can make a phone call and they can assist you with feeding, shelter, emergency services, even vet bills," she said.

The first step, getting the word out to enough people to make an idea like this grow, can often be the hardest, Bekiaris said. But the only way to get to the second step is to take a first, even if it is a small one. Bekiaris is in the process of having a Web site created. In the meantime, those who are interested in donating or participating in the pet food drive can call her at 727-808-6814.

"This is a start, this is something I can get involved with and maybe it can go from there," she said.

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