By Brett Fisher
For the second consecutive year, Pets of the Homeless has been the beneficiary of a local, grass-roots fundraising event sponsored by Chef Jose “Don Pepe” Noriega-Paz and hosted by the Downtown Coin Club on Telegraph Street in Carson City.
Chef Done Pepe, owner of Carpa Nevada LLC in Carson City, began selling his signature Portuguese-imported olive oils and balsamic vinegar as a fundraiser for Pets of the Homeless in 2015.
Last year’s event went so well, that the chef — known popularly as “The Paella King” to his fans — and Downtown Coin decided to make the fundraiser an annual event.
Chef Pepe said the inaugural fundraiser in 2015 produced about $300 in profit from the sales of his signature oils and vinegar products.
All of the profit generated from those sales — running from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 — was donated to Pets of the Homeless, a Carson City-based national 501(c)3 registered non-profit that launched a nationwide drive nearly decade ago to help homeless individuals keep their furry companions happy and healthy through food donations and regular veterinary care.
The second annual fundraiser began Nov. 1, 2016 and ended Dec. 31. This time around, Chef Don Pepe and Downtown Coin managed to double the donation to Pets of the Homeless, presenting the non-profit’s president and founder Genevieve Frederick with a $610 check Wednesday afternoon at Downtown Coin, 111 W. Telegraph Street in downtown Carson City.
“We doubled the amount from last year with $610 (this year),” Pepe said. “So for next year, we hope to quadruple the amount.”
Chef Pepe said he owes much of the success of his fundraiser to Dan and Trish Wilson, owners of Downtown Coin, for hosting the charity drive. And he made a special point to thank Mayor Bob and Susan Crowell as well as Charlie and Karen Abowd for their generosity in 2016.
The Crowells, he said, stepped forward in a big way during the 2016 fundraiser much as they did for the inaugural drive in 2015.
“They have been a force in this, not only buying the product, but telling people to come here,” he said.
For Frederick and her Pets of the Homeless organization, the efforts of Pepe and the Wilsons to start and then continue the annual fundraiser is an invaluable asset to the work she has devoted herself to since 2006.
“Their support means a lot to me personally, because I know these gentlemen,” Frederick said Wednesday. “They are part of Carson City, which is a very giving community. I appreciate it very much.”
Frederick said her organization’s focus this year will be to cover the costs of emergency veterinary care for homeless pets across the United States.
“This money will go towards our emergency veterinary care,” she said. “Our budget for 2017 is $120,000. Last year we spent over $97,000 on emergency care for pets across the country.”
She said even though Pets of the Homeless gets a discounted rate as a national non-profit, the $97,000 in veterinary bills incurred in 2016 was the net cost after the discounts had been applied.
“The veterinary costs are really high,” she said. “Our expenditure budget goes up every year.”
Frederick that while need for veterinary care among the homeless population is growing, the increase in expenses actually means something else.
“What it reflects is that more homeless are finding us,” she said.
And that’s a good thing, both for the organization and for the population it serves.
Pets of homeless individuals, Frederick said, are generally healthier than many animals with homes. She said this is because the animals are given almost constant attention and individual care by their human companions.
“These pets are with these people 24/7,” she said. “They get all of that love and attention. They are watching out for their animal so much.”
In spite of the high costs of emergency veterinary care, Frederick said there are still many veterinarians who end up waiving part of even all of their fees in pro bono fashion just to help get a homeless pet back on its feet.
“We worked almost 400 individual cases last year,” she said.
Although the $120,000 expenditure budget for 2017 is a high number in comparison to individual donations, Frederick said there is no amount too little or too small.
There is no such thing as an insignificant donation, she said.
“Every cent counts,” she said, noting another local fundraiser by Genoa Coffee and Candy Company that grossed $29 for Pets of the Homeless last year.
“That may not seem like a lot, but $29 is almost an exam for an animal,” Frederick said. “Every little bit helps. People may think that their $10 isn’t going to make any difference, but it does, because it adds up and adds up fast.”
Frederick said 2017 began with an upswing for Pets of the Homeless, which received a $2,500 from a private foundation as well as a $5,000 grant from the Petco Foundation.
“We are starting off the year really well, which helps us to keep moving forward,” she said. “Because we are a national organization, we get money from all over the country and from all over the world.”
For more information about Pets of the Homeless, how to become involved or to donate, visit its web site here or find it on Facebook here.
