Ames Pet Food Pantry

05/29/2026

PET WELLNESS CLINIC UPDATE:

We just got some wonderful news. Rockstar Cocker Rescue has stepped up with a $500 matching challenge for tomorrow's free Pet Wellness Clinic!

That means every dollar donated for the clinic today will be DOUBLED, up to $500. Remember: each pet costs just $15 to vaccinate and microchip. With this match, $15 from you becomes $30. That's two families who get to keep their pets healthy and safe.

We continue to be amazed by the people in this community who believe that keeping families together matters. If you've been waiting for a sign to give, this is it.

Donate at the link below and your gift will go twice as far today 🫶

https://secure.everyaction.com/MEz2WXCI9UuWdl2_fwFRrg2

05/08/2026

We don't often ask for donations on this page but our small nonprofit is FIFTEEN years old this year and we have spent the last 9 of those running our pet food pantry! Can you believe that?

Each month we are feeding over 500 dogs and cats AND at the end of this month we are sponsoring the free vaccine and microchip clinic in Ames again 💙We continue to do big things for our community because of the love and support we are shown.

If you are in a place that you can donate (always take care of your family first), please consider supporting our work for years to come:

01/20/2026

If you know of anyone who needs to get out of the cold- or who wants to volunteers for an overnight shift!

As the cold temperatures continue in the forecast ahead, we will need more volunteers to help keep the warming place open. Please go to ameswarming.place or scan the QR code in the image to sign up as a volunteer. Volunteers take shifts and have a private room on site to get a little sleep overnight too.

01/15/2026

Look at these new low cost clinics in Des Moines!!

CHECK IT OUT: The ARL Afford-a-Care Clinics provide affordable, quality veterinary care for pets in our community – and now they have an all-new website! It’s now easier than ever to view available services and pricing, make appointments for your pet online, find opportunities to join our clinic team, and more!

Learn more on the new ARL Afford-a-Care website at ARL-AffordACare.com.

For more updates on the ARL Afford-a-Care Clinics, follow ARL Afford-A-Care Pet Clinics.

12/14/2025

Please stay home today! We will see you next Sunday!

Due to the extreme temperatures this weekend, we are postponing our free pet food day until the 21st.

Please share with those you know who attend our events and don’t forget to RSVP to the new event here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1378468233688823

12/11/2025

Due to the extreme temperatures this weekend, we are postponing our free pet food day until the 21st.

Please share with those you know who attend our events and don’t forget to RSVP to the new event here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1378468233688823

12/02/2025

Please consider supporting our nonprofit today!

We give a lot.

A lot of food.

A lot of advice.

A lot of research.

Bailing Out Benji is a nonprofit service that gives everything we have back to the communities that need it the most. For our local community, that means giving pet food in order to keep loved dogs and cats with their people and out of the shelter. For the puppy-buying community, that means instant access to information and tips on how to avoid puppy mills. And for the advocacy community, it means providing the most thorough and up-to-date research on the puppy mill industry so we have effective ways of putting an end to the cruelty.

At Bailing Out Benji we leave it all on the table and we hold nothing back. If we have it or know it, then we share it!

If our work has helped you, informed you, or inspired you- then please consider supporting us today. Your Giving Tuesday donation means full bowls, informed families, and continued research in the fight against puppy mills. Bailing Out Benji is a small, but mighty nonprofit and we will continue to do big things with you by our side!

To make a donation to support our nonprofit:
https://secure.everyaction.com/LT0t7MN4DEOSsBsgg1IC6A2

To send a bag of food our way:
https://www.chewy.com/g/bailing-out-benji_b92375826 -list&wishlistsortby=DEFAULT

The photo you see is of our pet food shelves currently! We are expecting to have a record number of families who need our help in about two weeks. Any support you can send our way will help us more than you know.

Thank you, thank you!

11/18/2025

*REGARDING OUR SPAY/NEUTER POST*

Due to an overwhelming number of responses to the limited spaces we have available, we have paused adding names to our free spay/neuter list for the time being. We have some important information to share regarding this program if you did add your pets to our list, so please read below:

- Adding your name to our waitlist does not mean you are going to be selected to receive free spay/neuter services. If other opportunities arise for you to receive services, please do not wait to be contacted by us.

-The number of spaces we have available to us are limited and are only open during specific times of the year that coincide with veterinary students and their learning schedules. This isn't a regular clinic that we are able to host.

- Because of the more than 160 animals that were submitted in less than 24 hours, priority will be given to current clients of our pantry. Families will be contacted as spaces open up.

**For those families in our community who are looking for *LOW COST* options instead of free options, there is a nonprofit vet clinic in Boone that offers spay/neuter at a much lower cost than privately owned clinics.

Animal Protection and Education Charity also offers low cost vaccines and microchips! We aren't sure what their schedule looks like, but this is a great option for those who are able to cover a lower fee for this service.

Cats:
Female Indoor Cats: $100
Female Outdoor Cats: $90
Male Indoor Cats: $85
Male Outdoor Cats: $75

Dogs: (varies by weight)
Female: $122-$142
Male: $102-$122

https://www.goape.info/our-clinics/spay-and-neuter-clinics/

The ARL of Iowa (in Des Moines) also offers low cost spay/neuter options!
https://arl-iowa.org/pet-services/spay-neuter/

** The Ames Pet Food Pantry is a free program that is operated through Bailing Out Benji. This program receives no funding from the city or state and relies on the support of our community through monetary and in-kind donations. We give away free pet food on the 2nd Sunday of each month and offer various free clinics throughout the year. Bailing Out Benji is a 501c3 nonprofit organization: https://bailingoutbenji.com/donate/

11/08/2025

TOMORROW is Bailing Out Benji's monthly free Pet Food giveaway!

A few reminders:

- We are a no-questions asked pantry. If you or someone you know is in need of pet food, please come by on the second Sunday of each month (tomorrow). We are limited on the brands we have but will do our best to match you with your preferred quality and protein.

- We will be handing out pet food from 1-3 tomorrow! We ask that you stay in your vehicle and be patient with our team as we work through our quadrants.

**It will be cold and slick tomorrow!! Please do not come before 1:00, we will not serve you earlier. Stay warm at home before you make your way over to us.

More information can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1343063120792200/

If you aren't in need, but are able to help us continue handing out pet food, please consider making a donation:
https://secure.everyaction.com/ETtsapRILECTVrUIhSS_ug2

10/12/2025

Thank you for coming today! Our next free pet food day will be on November 9th from 1-3.

Please remember to show up at our start time and not to line up earlier. We do not help vehicles on a first come, first serve basis. We have routes that our volunteers work through in different locations of the parking lot to help with efficiency and traffic flow. We ask that you show our volunteers kindness and patience as we work through each vehicle.

Thank you! See you next month!

478 animals received food today through our Ames Pet Food Pantry. We helped so many families today that we ran out of food and had to buy more!

In moments like these we want to feel good about the impact we have on our community, but we know that this is just a drop in the bucket. Everyone is struggling right now and the need for assistance is at an all time high.

Today we saw neighbors picking up for neighbors and even a trailer court manager picking up for several families who don’t have transportation. We need each other now more than ever 💙

Be kind to one another.
Take care of your community.
Look out for your neighbors.

Big thanks to all of the volunteers who came and worked hard today! We’ve never had our parking lot full before our event even started, not to mention the line around the corner, but you all handled it so well and we are so grateful to every single one of you that helps support this important work!

While we always appreciate monetary donations, actual food donations are preferred. If you are able to send a bag off of our wish list, our “most needed” items are all less than $25. If you want to really help us out, please consider sending cat food and cat litter. Those are the animals we help the most, yet we receive the least support for them.

Thank you, thank you for helping us keep our community together.

Here is our chewy list: https://www.chewy.com/g/bailing-out-benji_b92375826 -list&wishlistsortby=DEFAULT

And here is Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/32J89EWBEKXPO?ref_=wl_dp_view_your_list