Hiram – Hiram went to the dogs last Saturday as the Police Department held a “Fill a Police Car” Food Drive and Pet Adoption event at the Municipal Building. Police Chief Ed Samec, the event organizer, invited 16 pet rescue and adoption organizations to join in this community-focused event which also raised food and funds for the 4Cs Food Pantry. Samec, an avid animal lover, states his purpose in creating the event, “There are so many animals that need loving homes, and want to be part of a loving family; I wanted to create an event that offered families and homeless animals an opportunity to begin a lifetime of love.” Samec and his fiancé, both animal advocates, know all about the unconditional love pets bring to a family. Their family unit includes a rescued pit bull and greyhound, several cats and a menagerie of other pets that would make Dr. Doolittle a little jealous. And Chief Samec helped some lucky pets and their new families find it as well, with six adoptions and pending adoptions resulting from the event.
In total, there were 16 organizations at the event, including the Portage County Animal Protective League (PAPL), Rose’s Rescue, Badges for Bullies companion advocacy group and many others. In addition, Portage County Sheriff Deputy Ed Hayes and his K-9 partner Charlie, Garrettsville Police Department Lieutenant Tim Christopher and his K-9 partner TAZ conducted a special demonstration. Martial Arts School Iron Eagle shared their skills in a demo, and also sold home-grown pumpkins to raise funds for the PAPL. Fur, fun and food were the goals of the day, and this event exceeded expectations on all counts. “We collected approximately 850 pounds of food and cash donations of over $200 which will help stock the shelves at the 4C’s food cupboard. In addition, residents donated 75 pounds of dog food for the Portage County Animal Protective League. The event was a huge success! We are so proud of our community and their willingness to help their neighbors,” beamed Chief Samec.
For more information on pet adoptions, visit the Portage County Animal Protective League at portageapl.org.
