TEWKSBURY, MASS. — Wellness Natural Pet Food announced April 30 it is doubling down on pet food donations to assist animal shelters and pet owners in the United States during COVID-19. The company will provide 136,000 lbs of dry pet food and 46,000 lbs of wet pet food for Best Friends Animal Society shelters in Los Angeles, Calif., Kanab, Utah and a community south of Houston, Texas.

"Now more than ever, our pets need to feel that they are cared for,” said Camelle Kent, chief executive officer of WellPet, LLC, the maker of Wellness Natural Pet Food. “Here at Wellness, our priority is making sure that pets' bowls remain filled with high-quality, natural food and we're committed to supporting pet parents and shelters who need a helping hand to make this happen. We applaud the work of Best Friends and are honored to be a teammate by supplying more food where it is needed most as the impact of COVID-19 continues to evolve."

Wellness Natural Pet Food operates a philanthropic subsidiary, The Wellness Foundation, which entered a partnership with Best Friends Animal Society during SuperZoo in 2019.

The company and Best Friends Animal Society cited dramatic social shifts caused by shelter-in-place orders and financial repercussions of COVID-19 as a reason to support animal shelters and pet owners, as well as encourage fostering and adoption at this time.

"If you can adopt or foster an animal, that is the best thing you can do to help right now,” said Julie Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. “We're not surprised, but are still in awe of how our community, partners and animal lovers everywhere have stepped up to consider the safety and wellbeing of our animals during this time. We're grateful for our partnership with Wellness Natural Pet Food to ensure that our animals not only find a home but do so with a full belly of nutritious food."

On April 15, Wellness Natural Pet Food donated two truckloads of pet food, weighing more than 33,000 lbs total, to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB). This was in addition to the 300,000 pet meals the company had previously donated to local community groups supporting at-risk companion animals over the last month.

Read about other pet industry companies giving back to support people impacted by COVID-19.