The Pongo Fund (2026)

24/03/2026

We started getting the calls shortly after the story broke. One woman called on behalf of her daughter, who was too nervous to ask for help herself. Another man used his dog’s name, when we asked his name. He was embarrassed. His dog’s name was Duke.

The callers apologized. They were afraid to ask for help. They knew things would be ok in a few weeks. But they didn’t know when. And they had hungry dogs and cats now. Could we help?

Yes we could.

The Pongo Fund has been here before. Many times. When federal workers went unpaid, The Pongo Fund was there. When teachers went unpaid, The Pongo Fund was there. When nurses went unpaid, The Pongo Fund was there.

The list goes on. But it’s more of the same.

When the call comes, The Pongo Fund is there.

We don’t have a marketing or PR team. Most people don’t have a clue the work we do behind the scenes. Sometimes we don’t even know. And then it happens.

We are such a tiny group. A bunch of kind hearted folks doing all we can to make sure people don’t need to give up their beloved animals when times are tough.

This load of dog and cat food was delivered directly to the Portland International Airport for the emergency TSA food bank. Just a small part of the dog and cat food The Pongo Fund has provided for many unpaid TSA workers. Dog and cat food were two of the most requested items. And now they have both.

Thank you to everyone who steps up to help us so we can help others.

We are grateful for you.

Because hungry people have hungry pets.

As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

If you’d like to help us, please click here: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
Portland, OR.

21/03/2026

Yesterday was my Birthday. Although a day late, here are my Wishes…

“Today is my birthday. And my birthday gift to me is taking this moment to say thank you to you. To each and every one of you. Thank you for caring about the animals. Thank you for loving the animals. Thank you for being the voice for the animals. For they too deserve to be heard.

My birthday wish is to see the end of animal abuse. End it forever. Finished. Kaput. Done. To stop any and all animal suffering. To end the agony that these majestic friends far too frequently endure when people choose to do bad things. Or simply, when people do not take the time to understand.

May we someday find a way to educate those who bring harm so they can learn what they have done is wrong. So that someday, they too can celebrate and enjoy the unconditional love of an animal friend.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -- Mohandas Gandhi

For my birthday, this is my wish. Because the animals deserve that wish. For each and every one of them. Whatever they are. Wherever they are. For they deserve better. Especially for those already gone at the hands of abuse. That have suffered. That have known pain.

May they rest in peace. Running on rainbows. Sleeping in clouds. May they know the smiles they brought. May they know they were loved. And that they will not be forgotten.

Please know that every wish I wish for the animals I wish for the people too. Adults and kids alike. Because we share this fine earth together. Even for those who bring harm and may not seemingly deserve that wish, I still wish it. Because that wish brings hope.

And with that wish, I hope today will bring a better day for all. For all animals. For all creatures. For all people. For all beings. For all living things great and small. That is my birthday wish.

“You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” -- Mohandas Gandhi

On my birthday I thank every single person who fuels The Pongo Fund forward. Getting up and showing up time and time and time again to make a difference for those less fortunate. There are far too many names to mention here, but please know you are important and appreciated and loved.

And at our core, you are the heart and soul of The Pongo Fund.

The dedicated souls who have defied the odds and proven that impossible is possible. And I thank you.

Because everything we do, we do together.

“Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” ~ Muhammad Ali

On my birthday I thank 21 year-old Pongo for being who he was. The grand spirit of life who knew it was all about love, kindness and joy. And great food. He lived large and he lived long and against impossible odds he thrived, outliving his years many times over. Always with zest and gusto and love. He blessed my life for many years. But the 19 years we had together were still not enough. And I miss him.

And I thank Scooby, my 22 year-old beagle buddy, for the love and friendship he brought that went beyond anything I could have ever dreamed. The love and friendship that he still brings today. Because he’s here. Not the way you think. But I know he is, and I know you understand.

He is my compass. My guide. No matter where he sleeps at night he still is all that he was, and he will continue to be. My Dalai Lama. My Gandhi. My Buddha.

And I thank Lola, for her love and patience in teaching me Lola’s Way. Especially for the birthday kisses she greeted me with this morning when she decided it was time to get up. The sky was dark with a soft drizzle. We danced under the morning sky and said blessings on this first day of Spring. Lola will soon be celebrating her 18th birthday, and I look forward to that.

"If the only prayer you say in life is thank you, that would suffice." -- Meister Eckhart

With complete gratitude to each one of you, I have the honor and privilege of doing the work that many only dream of. I am truly blessed.

And with you as the wind, together we have provided more than 40 million meals and saved the lives of more than 244,000 beloved animals, keeping them safe and healthy and out of the shelters. Please think about that.

We have fed them with great food, we have healed them with lifesaving medical care. And each time we have helped the animals, we have helped their people too.

Because hungry people have hungry pets. And because we are all connected.

This isn’t about us or them; this is about doing what’s right. And if by helping one we are able to help all, then by all means, that is what we shall do.

“Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in.” ~ Leonard Cohen

For my next year and each of the many to follow, my wish for myself is that I will ring more bells. That I will be more understanding. More compassionate. More patient. More forgiving. And that I will always err on the side of kindness.

If nothing else I hope that I will bring the same kind of love and kindness that our animal friends bring. Because if I can do that, I will have done well.

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, I can do or any kindness that I can show… let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.” -- Stephen Grillet

And one more thing. You are loved!

~ Larry Chusid, The Pongo Fund, March 20, 2026.

PS: I've learned over the years that many people have reposted my words as their own. I appreciate the compliment, but they are my words and if reposted please include my name and The Pongo Fund name as the writer in the posting. Because the words mean far less without the heart behind them. Thank you."

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
Portland, OR

19/03/2026

Finally --

We have a Cleo Update.

And it’s good news.

We learned that Cleo’s urgent surgery last week went well and the medical team was able to remove the very large and many bladder stones, and they were hopeful for a quick recovery.

I was hoping for more details, but Cleo’s Mom has not replied with any other information.

Sometimes that’s how it goes.

We do what we can to save a life, and we hope for the best moving forward.

Thank you again to everyone for being there for sweet Cleo.

You really did save her life.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

14/03/2026

The Pongo Fund has many Kibble Packs each year.

The Clara Kelly Miller Kibble Pack is our most special one.

When Clara’s big extended family gathers with us to celebrate and remember this sweet girl who lives across the Rainbow Bridge, spreading her joy every single day.

This will be our 10th Clara Kelly Miller Kibble Pack. What you see is the prep moment, with some of the dozens of totes waiting and ready to go. Totes that are filled and refilled thousands of times each year, bringing forth dinner for hungry animals near and far.

Today, they will be filled for Clara.

None of us know everything. But for those of us who Kibble with Clara, one thing we do know is that she is right there with us. And we love her very much.

Kibbling With Clara.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

14/03/2026

As Friday night dances to a close, I’m sorry to say we still do not have an update for sweet Cleo.

Sometimes the vet team gets busy, and the person who was supposed to make the call or send the email asks someone else to do it, but that person gets busy and before you know it the day is over and the update did not get done. And then it's the weekend and time marches on.

As for the people who have the animals that The Pongo Fund helps, please remember that in many cases, The Pongo Fund is their only port in a storm.

But in their worlds, there are many storms.

And never enough ports.

As soon as one storm has passed, there are three more waiting. What I mean to say is, sometimes the people are too exhausted to update us. They have good intentions. But life gets in the way.

I spoke with Cleo’s Mom Wednesday night, before the Thursday morning surgery. She also texted me a very long message of gratitude. But she was exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. Not just from what Cleo is suffering, but from her own life too.

We funded the surgery to save Cleo's life. There were no follow ups required. But if possible, I'd sure like to know how she's doing.

Sometimes several days go by until we hear something. That may be the case here. I really don’t have any inside information. And with all the things that might be, I’d like to wait until we know for sure. Whatever the outcome is, I will share it with you.

Good news or bad.

But it’s Friday and not a Friday goes by that I still don’t think of The Scoobs. And since I don’t have another photo of Cleo to share, I thought Scooby would be a good stand in.

Thank you again to everyone for being there for sweet Cleo.

I’ll update you when I know more.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

13/03/2026

Good morning from the Land of Pongo.

Please know that I have not yet received any update from Cleo's surgery yesterday. We have reached out to both the veterinary team as well as Cleo's Mom, but as yet there has been no reply. This is sometimes how it goes, but please know I will update you when I learn more.

Thank you again to everyone for being there for sweet Cleo.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

12/03/2026

Sweet Cleo is in surgery right now. Thank you to everyone for your donations of love and money.

Cleo’s Mom called me late last night to thank all of us again for saving Cleo’s life. Because that’s exactly what is happening right now. Her little life is being saved.

And I hope that each one of you will take a moment to know you are part of something special.

On a separate note, I know that a few of you ran into technology delays when trying to donate via our website and your donations were not completed. It would be wonderful if you would please try again.

One more thing. I know the photo is blurry. I wish it wasn't, 'cause I'd love to just stare deep into those sweet eyes. But that photo is the best we have, so please enjoy it anyway.

For Sweet Cleo.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

10/03/2026

This is Cleo. The photo is not from today. Because today she's in a lot of pain.

Surgery is needed ASAP. Huge bladder stones and a blockage just waiting to make things worse. It's already an emergency. We just learned about it this afternoon.

She doesn't know it, but we've dedicated the last 4 hours to her.

She’s not in a good way.

Was supposed to be in surgery last week but the estimate was about $1700 and her Mom only had $80. Truth is, I’m not sure she even had the $80. She said it was somewhere, but she didn’t know where.

We got the call this afternoon. We’ve already given the go ahead. There was no time to wait for fundraising.

Fingers and paws crossed for the best outcome that should be in the next few days.

For now I’m going to stop here. So many more details to share but I don’t want you to spend the rest of your night thinking about what I’m thinking about.

If you’d like to join Team Cleo, please consider donating on this post or using the secure link on our website https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/

Team Cleo Checks can also be sent to The Pongo Fund, PO Box 9000, Portland, OR, 97207.

We’ve got 18 dogs and cats waiting for major surgeries. We’re going to help every single one of them. Please join with us if you can.

If nothing else, please send LOVE.

Thank you to everyone who helps us Pongo.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

07/03/2026

He was gently digging through trash.

I wondered what he was looking for.

Maybe it was mustard.

Because a man I met once was doing that, looking for mustard.

Someone had given him a sandwich or hot dog or something and the bread was dry and he decided that what it really needed was mustard so he started rooting through a garbage can looking for little condiment packets of mustard.

He was hungry and was glad to have been given food. But he still knew how he wanted it to taste, and he wanted mustard.

I’ve been on the street. Not the same way, but I’ve been there in bits and pieces. Sometimes when I’m doing street work I get mistaken for those I’m trying to help and others try to help me too. I’ve received more than one sack lunch. And yes, sometimes the bread is dry.

So I understood the mustard.

The man who was digging through trash, I asked him if there was something he would like. It’s an open ended question. But for me, it’s sometimes easier than asking someone if they are hungry.

I mean, they are already submerged to their elbows in a garbage can. The need for them could be anything, even something other than food.

A reminder that sometimes one question provides many answers.

He said he was looking for food to take back to others who were hungry. He had already found something for himself, but there were others. They had their tents a couple blocks away. A few older men making the best life they could in a moment that was not their best life.

I went into the store and got a few things. Chips. Sandwiches. Mustard. We walked back to his camp where we were greeted by two wiggly dogs. I wasn’t prepared for that and I did not have dog food with me. And I worried these folks were going to share the sandwiches with the dogs. Not a good plan.

I told him I would go back and get dog food. He laughed and said the dogs were the only ones who already had food. He said they had just finished lunch and would soon be settling in for their afternoon naps.

He then began to tell me where I could get free dog food if I ever needed it. He was giving me an insider secret. Not just where to get it, but he also told me what kind it was as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.

As he read the words, he had no idea I had written the words.

He pulled one of the dog food bags from his tent. He showed it to me. He said it was Pongo Food.

I knew from the small markings on the bag that it had been packed with love by Shauna, Eddie, Sarah, the three Lisas, Dennis, Christina, Heidi and others.

The Pongo Fund provides dog and cat food to many human focused social service groups and food banks, and those markings also told me what group we had given that food to. It was a new group for us and finding the food here with these folks was exactly what we had hoped for.

The man also went on to explain the comfort they had in knowing that their dogs were fed. He said their dogs were their everything. They were older dogs. Happy dogs. Best friends for life kind of dogs. That they had food was the most important thing.

Because he said without their dogs...
..none of them would be strong enough to make it on their own.

He then said I had probably never talked to anyone before who was so excited about dog food.

I just smiled.

He had no idea that kibble was my life. That the bags of dog food he had were named in honor of my Pongo.

All he knew was that their dogs had food. Food that said Pongo on the label. Really good food that never ran out.

As for all the other details, he didn’t need to know.

All that mattered was that he was happy. I was happy.

And those two dogs who gave me the best kisses ever, they were happy too.

It was a good day.

As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Thank you to everyone who helps us Pongo.

Being a Helper.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

25/02/2026

The photo is Rufus enjoying all the dreams, post-surgery. He’s already home and doing well, settling in for what will be the first night in a long time, without pain.

Thank you to everyone for loving Sweet Rufus today. Thank you to the team at Guardian Veterinary Care for welcoming this lovebug and taking such good care of him. And thank you to the team at Affordable at Home Care, Inc, for taking care of the bill.

To everyone involved, it was a job well done. And so very much appreciated.

For Rufus the Heart-Melter.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

24/02/2026

In a few minutes this sweet boy will be in surgery and his life will change forever.

His name is Rufus and he’s in a lot of pain. That eye is a mess. Despite it all, he’s still there front and center greeting everyone with the best tail wags and ever so gently taking all the treats.

As the veterinary team said, he’s a Heart-Melter.

His people love him very much, but the cost of surgery was far more than they could bear. Thankfully they got him to the veterinary team that could help determine next steps, and that included a call to The Pongo Fund.

An enucleation is expensive. But thanks to our friends at Affordable at Home Care, Inc, his bill is covered.

From this day forward Rufus will have one less eye. But he will still clearly see and feel all the love from all the people, who care so deeply about him.

And all that pain he has so stoically endured, will be gone. And that is the best news.

Thank you Stephanie, Peter and Gucci, and everyone at Affordable at Home Care, Inc, for being there when we need you most. Your kindness saves lives every single day.

One more thing. I intentionally did not enlarge the photo. Not everyone is ready to see an eye with this level of damage. But it's far worse than it looks.

But the best part of that photo, is looking at Sweet Rufus. He is such a good boy. And if you want to give him some kisses on that sweet boop of a nose, I'll completely understand.

For Rufus the Heart-Melter.

And this is why we Pongo.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

18/02/2026

It was several years ago. He called The Pongo Fund to say he’d lost his dog.

It was all ok when he called. She had been found. She was fine. But he wasn’t.

His little girl was lost in the house somewhere, he panicked, he called the only people he knew who might be able to help. Because he was a Pongo, he was one of us. He got his food from The Pongo Fund and he trusted us and he called us in one of the worst moments of his life.

Thankfully, that night it all turned out ok.

A few days later he called again. He was entering a recovery program. He asked if we knew anyone who could adopt his dog. Not just foster her. Adopt her. He didn’t trust himself anymore and he had several reasons for that.

We found his sweet girl a new home. That person understood it might be only temporary. We were hopeful she would go back home. But the man stuck to his word. He knew at that point in his life he was already struggling to be kind to himself. He had nothing left to give anyone else.

He completed his recovery and has stayed clean ever since. He would check in every now and then to see how his girl was doing. He didn’t ask for photos or details. He just wanted to know she was doing ok. She was.

But he never asked about her coming home.

Not because he didn’t love her. But because he loved her too much.

I always wondered if he would try again. He was a totally gentle soul. Any dog would be lucky to have him. But he didn’t trust himself. And no one could fix that, except him.

He called one day to check in again. Gave him the always good news update. He somehow fed on those few words. The calls were brief. Maybe they were ritual.

This time it was a little bit different.

I told him about a woman who called The Pongo Fund. She said her Dad was entering recovery. He made a sound to acknowledge that he knew what that would be like. He immediately began talking about this man he did not know, and wishing him to be strong and well and said if I talked to him, to let him know he was going to make it.

I told him the man had a dog. That’s why his daughter called us. It was nothing more than a hope she had. Could we foster his dog? The man said he totally knew what that man must be feeling. How hard it was going to be to leave his best friend behind.

He asked if we had a plan. I told him I thought we did.

The man whose daughter called, he completed his rehab. At least the first part. He’s back home working hard to stay clean. I don’t know how many days it’s been but his dog is still with him, happy to be home.

The man who we helped 10 years ago? The man who asked if we had a plan to help this other man find a foster for his dog?

That man, he was our plan.

And he was the perfect foster.

How lucky we were. Because for all of them, things turned out really well.

Whoever the next dog will be that finds his way to this man, what a lucky dog they will be. He'll know when it's time.

“Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.” – Audrey Hepburn.

Serendipity.

And this is why we Pongo.

I wrote these words in a hurry. Please let me know of any typos, etc.

Sit. Stay. Eat. Live.
thepongofund.org
The Pongo Fund / Portland, OR

The Pongo Fund

24/03/2026

21/03/2026

19/03/2026

14/03/2026

14/03/2026

13/03/2026

12/03/2026

10/03/2026

07/03/2026

25/02/2026

24/02/2026

18/02/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share