You're making a difference

Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) provides high-quality pet food, vaccines, and health-protecting medicines to service animals and pets belonging to low-income pet owners living with HIV, cancer, disabilities, veterans and the elderly. For over 35 years, PALS has served clients living on limited budgets who are managing a disability, or serious chronic illness, or age-related health challenges. Your support allows pets to remain healthy and in homes where they are loved.

In 1990, Pets Are Loving Support, Inc. (PALS), an Atlanta based 501(c)(3) organization, was founded by two Atlanta businesswomen, Dr. Susan Wynn, a veterinarian, and Dr. Margaret Schulte, an educator, who met while doing volunteer work for DeKalb Humane Society. Not only did they have a common interest in working with AIDS patients, but they were also animal lovers

One day, another volunteer mentioned that there was a person with AIDS who was living alone with his best friend, a cat. He was sharing his one meal per day with his cat and foregoing some of his medications in order to pay for vet care for his animal. Dr. Wynn and Dr. Schulte were very touched by the fact that this individual was risking his own health for the health of his only friend, his cat.

They immediately realized that the human-animal bond was extremely important to persons living with AIDS. So many lost the support and contact of family and friends, not to mention their financial independence, jobs, homes, and savings. This was an area in the life of persons living with AIDS that needed to be addressed. So, they began collecting pet food.

This was the humble beginning of PALS.

Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) began supporting pets and their people over 35 years ago. Every month we provide vaccines and medicines to keep dogs and cats healthy. Our clients (and of course their pets and service animals) count on us for pet food on a daily basis. 

A PALS client recently told us, "PALS helps me and Boney by supporting and supplying us with food, meds, vaccinations. The staff is very humble and helpful in all areas of this process. When Boney is uneasy they give me a helping hand and calm him the best they can. I really appreciate everything PALS has done and still doing for Boney and I.  Thanks PALS!"

When you support PALS, you are helping low-income pet and service animal owners better manage the health and age-related challenges they face, while removing the stress of feeding and vaccinating their pets on very small monthly budgets. In some instances, these pets are the only companionship our clients might have, which is something that many of us take for granted.