WALNUT CREEK, CA — A new campaign by Bay Area-based Pet Food Express was launched to impact animal overpopulation and the overcrowding of animal rescue organizations including Joybound People & Pets —formerly Animal Rescue Foundation or ARF — as well as bring awareness to the need for essential spay and neuter services for local pets.
The campaign is called the The Big Fix. For every purchase of a Big Fix Friends (BFFs) SnugArooz toy from Pet Food Express online or in-store, 50 percent of the retail price will go directly toward 10 Bay Area nonprofit clinics that offer low-cost or sliding-scale spay and neuter services.
The limited-edition Big Fix Friends dog and cat toys retail for $9.99 and $5.99, respectively. For dogs, Fang Cuddlearms features a squeaky body and long, stretchy arms. For cats, Spike Hugface entertains with a catnip and crinkle middle. The Big Fix will continue until all toys are sold out or until the end of the calendar year 2024, whichever comes first.
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Since the campaign launched just a few weeks ago on Jan. 31, there has already been an outpouring of support, according to Megan Kniepkamp, senior community outreach manager for Pet Food Express, which is headquartered in Concord.
“We are thrilled with the outpouring of support from our customers for this campaign,” Kniepkamp said. “Our cat toy Spike Hugface is about 1/3 of the way sold out, and our dog toy Fang Cuddlearms is not far behind. We are well on track to a very successful first year.”
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In addition to Joybound People & Pets, The Big Fix nonprofit partners also Berkeley Humane, Napa Humane Peninsula Humane Society, Pasadena Humane, Sacramento SPCA, San Francisco SPCA, Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, Spay Neuter Imperative Project and Valley Humane Society.
According to Dr. Heather Budgin, a veterinarian at the Joybound Veterinary Clinic, the extra funds will help address a crisis in Contra Costa County.
“The pandemic puppy boom, coupled with inflation and unaffordable housing across the Bay Area, has led to a pet overpopulation crisis,” Budgin said. “Spay and neuter is our most effective way to address this crisis, but the procedures are expensive, and the demand is high. Funds raised from the Big Fix will allow Joybound People & Pets to offer even more low- and no-cost spays and neuters, which will keep more Contra Costa County animals healthy and safe.”
The Big Fix Could Get Bigger
If The Big Fix Program proves to be successful this first year, Pet Food Express, which has 64 stores across California, will most likely expand its reach and impact from the initial 10 Bay Area nonprofit spay/neuter clinics.
“Since this is the first year for The Big Fix, we selected 10 spay and neuter clinic partners who we know and trust from other programs, while trying to get geographic dispersal over as many of our communities as possible,” Kniepkamp said. “It was important to us to keep the roster small this first year so that everyone’s portion of the proceeds would be a meaningful donation.”
Pet Food Express aggregates all the donations together into one general pot and then disburses them equally among all the participating partners.
“If this year is a success, we are looking to continue to grow the program and widely expand our reach and impact,” Kniepkamp said. “We have already met a number of other spay and neuter clinics through this year’s program that we are excited about working with in the future!”
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