A group of selfless teens from Plainview and Jericho are teaming up with organizations and retailers to do what they can to keep needy families—and their pets—together despite whatever hardships they may be facing.
No Pet Goes Unfed is a charitable organization that donates pet food to individuals who, due to pressing financial needs, would otherwise be forced to give up their beloved animal companions. The group was founded in 2012 by Plainview’s Hannah Stewart—currently a sophomore at Brandeis University in Massachusetts—and to date has collected more than 10,000 pounds of animal food and other supplies with the motto, “keeping families together one bowl at a time.”
According to Hannah’s younger brother Jordan, a 10th grader at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, his sister came up with the idea for No Pet Goes Unfed after an experience she had while interning at the Manetto Hill Animal Hospital in Plainview several years ago.
“One day a person dropped off their dog because they couldn’t afford to keep it anymore, but the vet wasn’t open yet, so every hour he would come back to check on the dog, kissing and hugging it and he kept coming back until the vet was open,” he said. “Hannah became determined to find a way to keep pets and their families together and to make sure that no individual ever again has to go through the feeling of having to give up their pet.”
The new charity would end up having no choice but to hit the ground running, according to Justin Steinberg, Jordan and Hannah’s cousin and a 12th grader at Jericho High School. No Pet Goes Unfed had the unfortunate—or perhaps fortunate—timing of coming to be just before Superstorm Sandy battered Long Island in 2012, creating a skyrocketing need for their service.
“During Sandy, a lot of people weren’t able to take care of their pets anymore. Hannah needed a lot of help, so she invited my brother Dylan and I into the organization,” he said. “We discussed this over a family dinner and it just kind of grew from there and that’s how it spread from Plainview to Jericho. I’m an animal-lover and president of the pet club at my high school, so I got a lot of my classmates involved as well.”
The group’s very-first year, post-Sandy, netted them 3,000 pounds of food, which was given to the Town of Oyster Bay for disbursement to the many families who—along with their pets—were displaced by the vicious storm.
Since then, the teens have held regular food drives at various locations and the Stewart’s home itself is often a drop-off point for random donations. While dog and cat food is their main focus, the group accepts any supplies an individual maybe willing to give— including rabbit and even reptile food—provided the food is non-perishable and unopened. Collected food and items, in turn, are donated by No Pet Goes Unfed to Baxter’s Pet Pantry of Long Island Cares, Inc.
No Pet Goes Unfed is now, for the first time ever, partnering with a retail store to hold what they hope will be their biggest food drive ever. Pet Valu, located at 70 Manetto Hill Rd. in the Fairway shopping center, will host the group on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Jordan is hoping they will be breaking records that day.
“Pet Valu will be donating a gift basket that we will raffle off and we will use that money to buy food from them to donate to Baxter’s over at Long Island Cares,” he said. “In addition, anyone who wants to drop off any food, toys, blankets or other pet-related items is welcome to
come by.”
Given the obvious need for their services, it seems only natural that No Pet Goes Unfed will continue to grow. Dylan Steinberg, a ninth grader at Jericho High School and Justin’s brother, said that while taking it nationwide one day will always be in the back of their minds, the next step is to get more family involved first.
“We have cousins in Melville and we plan to expand our donation sites so people not just in Plainview and Jericho, but in Melville and its surrounding towns can donate as well,” he said. “Plus, we have family friends that want to get involved, so No Pet Goes Unfed is definitely going to keep on growing and expanding.”
Justin said that all the hard work No Pet Goes Unfed has put in over the last several years has been worth it when they can see the look on the faces of people that don’t have to deal with the utter heartbreak of having to part with their fuzzy and four-legged family members.
“It feels great, because pets can’t help themselves—they’re reliant on people—so someone needs to help them,” he said. “Plus, people in general aren’t as kind and helpful to pets as they are to other people, and they should be and we’re doing what we can to turn that around.”
