Corinne Lawson of Easton is the new president of the Pet Pantry in Taunton and also works as an animal care and adoption counselor at the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, a private, non-profit animal shelter in Brockton.
TAUNTON — When people are going through hard times, the last thing they need is to be separated from their furry, loving, non-judgmental canine and feline buddies who may be one of their only sources of comfort, said Corinne Lawson, new president of the Pet Pantry.
And when a pet finally finds a loving home, it’s terrible to see him lose it needlessly, she said. That’s where the Pet Pantry comes in. Founded in Taunton in 2009, the non-profit organization distributes pet supplies to pet owners in need once a month out of the Coyle and Cassidy food pantry, with the goal of helping keep pets and their families together in times of need, Lawson said.
“It’s heartbreaking to see someone have to give up their pet. If there’s some way we can prevent that, that’s what we want to do,” said Lawson, an Easton resident who works as an animal care and adoption counselor at the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, a private, non-profit animal shelter in Brockton.
Now, the APCSM and the Pet Pantry have teamed up, working together to assist pet owners in need.
Since June, the APCSM has been acting as a collection center for food and pet supply donations for the Pet Pantry, said Lawson, 24.
In addition, families who wish to register to receive Pet Pantry food and supplies may now do so at the shelter, Lawson said.
Registered families may then pick up food and supplies at the shelter twice a month.
The Pet Pantry serves about 100 families a month through the Coyle and Cassidy food pantry, Lawson said.
Currently, it serves approximately half a dozen additional families at the Brockton shelter but could serve more, Lawson said.
The Pet Pantry doesn’t screen for income or residency.
"If you’re really in need, it shouldn’t matter what town you’re from,” she said.
Lawson, a 2012 Oliver Ames High School graduate, said the Pet Pantry was founded by Jessica Stone, a Coyle and Cassidy graduate who is now studying in Australia to be a veterinarian.
When Jessica went off to college, her parents took over running the pantry until last winter when they passed the baton to Lawson. Also serving on the Pet Pantry board are Vice President Wyatt Gilmore and Secretary Jacqueline Freeman, Lawson said.
Lawson, who has a degree in psychology from Bridgewater State University, said she’s always been an animal lover and launched her career as a dog walker when she was just a sophomore in high school.
She originally attended BSU with the idea of becoming a mental health worker.
But she had a change of heart and realized her true passion is working with animals.
“It’s incredibly rewarding. It’s challenging as well, but it’s wonderful to see an animal find a home,” said Lawson, who has two pets of her own, a 4-year-old pit bull named Coan and a 4-year-old cat named Bear.
“They don’t like each other. Actually, my dog likes my cat but my cat doesn’t like my dog,” Lawson said with a chuckle.
She said each of them is lovable in his own way.
Coan, whom she adopted from a friend, may look scary but he’s “a big baby,” Lawson said.
“He’s a sweetheart and he’s super-intelligent,” Lawson said. “He looks at you like he’s really listening.”
And he knows the word “squirrel.” As soon as he hears it, he runs around the room in a flurry of excitement.
Bear, on the other hand, never loses his cool, Lawson said.
She adopted the fluffy black tomcat with the beautiful green eyes from the APCSM.
He won her heart with his cheery pluck.
“He’s cool, really cool, and he knows it. He’s sociable but independent,” Lawson said.
When he was first brought to the shelter, he had just survived a New England winter out on the streets alone. He had a wound on his paw and his hair was matted down.
“He went through all that, but he’s still calm and trusting,” Lawson said.
Lawson knows how traumatic it would be to be separated from Bear or Coan and she doesn’t want that to happen to anyone else, she said.
Lawson said she remembers one woman in particular who had just had open heart surgery and was temporarily unable to work. She came to the Pet Pantry for pet food and supplies.
“She got to keep her cat,” Lawson said.
Donation items for either the APCSM or the Pet Pantry can be dropped off the APCSM at 1300 West Elm Ext., Brockton. Food items must be non-expired and unopened. They cannot accept medications, expired food or opened packages. For a full list of most-needed items visit the APCSM web page at www. apcsm.org or the Pet Pantry page at www.helpfeedpets.org. Distribution day at Coyle and Cassidy is on the last Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Contact Rebecca Hyman at rhyman@tauntongazette.com
