Cooke County — The fight against animal hunger isn’t easy. Neither is dealing with government bureaucracy. Cooke County resident Barbara Dingler knows a lot about battling both as she works to get the new nonprofit organization Helping Hand Animal Food Bank off the ground. “We’re in the process of getting all the information in to the government to make the organization a 501c3 (nonprofit agency),” Dingler said recently. She said she also established a board of directors and is looking for others who wish to join her. Dingler’s love of animals led her to start an organization to help residents who can’t afford to feed their pets. Stories such as the seizure of 64 starved and endangered pets and livestock at an animal rescue center in Bonham and her own experiences with starving animals help keep her focused on her goal, she said. In the Bonham cause, the animals were seized from Brenda Neely’s 501 Rescue Shelter on her property in February. The animals which include dogs, horses and small animals are now in SPCA custody. Dingler hopes to prevent a similar incident in Cooke County. To that end she is searching for an appropriate building for Helping Hand Animal Food Bank. “We need a building. We need furniture, everything it takes to run the food bank,” she said. Dingler spends a lot of time talking to others about the food bank. She also trolls the Internet looking for advice from individuals who operate food assistance projects for animals. She credits her parents with instilling in her a love for animals. “I think I got my love for animals from my momma. She would pick up mangy, starved dogs and take care of them. My dad also loved animals” she said. She said she’s hoping to hold a garage sale in the future to help raise money and possibly pick up some donations for the organization’s office. She also said a deal is in the works to distribute pet food through programs such as Cooke County Meals on Wheels. “A lot of people who are on social security and get Meals on Wheels cannot afford to buy pet food,” she said. She said the problem of people who cannot afford to feed their pets is widespread. For example, Dingler said she found a couple through the Freecycle network who needed some help with their pets. “I met them when I went to pick up a bed they had and I found out they were living on a fixed income and didn’t have the money to buy food for their dogs,” she said. Her response was to share some of her own pet food. “I had a big bag of dog food I had just bought in my car, and I opened it up and gave half to them,” she said. Other people simply move away and abandon their pets and surrender them to animal shelters such as Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter in Gainesville. For information on the pet food bank or to learn find out how to help get the organization off the ground call Dingler at 668-7760.
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Cooke County resident Barbara Dingler is hoping to find a home for her animal food bank. Dingler, who provided this photo of a lean-looking horse, said Helping Hand Animal Food Bank will help provide pet food for those who cannot afford to feed their animals. The organization will also help struggling livestock owners with cattle or horse feed.
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