Hungry Hippo’s Pet Food Pantry
Hungry Hippo’s Pet Food Pantry provides high-quality, nutritious pet food to families in need in the greater Pittsburgh region. We partner with food banks and Meals on Wheels programs to ensure that households receiving food assistance also receive needed food assistance for their pets. Financially strained households are often forced to surrender their pets due to lack of money to buy pet food. Our mission is to keep pets healthy, in loving homes and out of already-crowded shelters.
The best way to support Hippo’s Pantry is by making a donation! We purchase pet food at cost to provide to local food banks and shelters, so all donations designated for the Pantry will be used to do that.
You can also purchase dog and cat food through our Amazon Wish List. All purchases will ship directly to Biggies Bullies.
If you have sealed dog or cat food or treats that you want to donate, you can arrange for them to be picked up by emailing us.
You can also drop off any donations at any Biggies Bullies event. The following locations all carry healthy pet food, you can purchase food right from these stores and leave the food with them, just tell them its for Hungry Hippos Pet Food Pantry! Donations can be dropped off at the following locations as well:
Hippo’s Legacy
In the winter of 2013, Hippo’s owners left her at the vet’s office because she had a pyometra, a life-threatening infection of the uterus. The veterinarians were able to surgically remove 8-lbs of infection to save Hippo’s life. But, when the doctors called her owners to tell them they had to spay Hippo to fix the problem, her owners no longer wanted her back. They even changed their phone number!
Luckily, Alli (founder of Biggies Bullies), was at the veterinarian’s office with a foster dog when Hippo was abandoned. The technicians explained what happened and took Alli to see Hippo.
When Hippo first saw Alli, she army-crawled out of her cage and slowly wiggled over to her lap. She immediately sat right down and pushed her whole face against Alli’s. Even though Alli said Hippo smelled like dirty socks, she hugged Hippo right back. She scooped Hippo into her car and took her home.
After about a month of living with Alli and Aaron, Hippo started to get braver – walking more, learning to like her leash, and playing with her dog brothers. Alli to her work everyday at a locally-owned pet store, Petagogy. She became the best sales dog, with visitors everyday.
In April 2013, Alli and Aaron decided that they just couldn’t let Hippo go. On Alli’s birthday, they made it official!
Everything was going really well, but when Hippo had a pretty bad ear infection in May, they went back to the vet. During the exam, the veterinarian found that Hippo had Stage 5 heart murmur. After testing at PVSEC, they diagnosed Hippo with Pulmonic Stenosis.
In August 2013, Hippo underwent surgery to have a balloon placed in her valve to make her heart work more easily. Unfortunately, since Hippo was older, there was so much scar tissue around the valve that the surgery was not as successful as it was supposed to be.
So you read all of that and you may be sad, but guess what? Hippo was never sad, not ever, not even for one second! She continued to be the happiest wiggly girl around.
Hippo taught us to appreciate what you have every single day and served as the inspiration for Hungry Hippo’s Pet Food Pantry!
She did so much to change people’s thoughts about bully breeds. She helped us break stereotypes, foster our rescues, and educate our community about pitbulls. All while working at Petagogy, stealing blankets, a farting on Alli’s pillow.
As Hippo got older and a bit slower, she continued to be the happiest dog ever. Some of her vets say that love kept her alive – and, we agree.
Hippo, thank you for teaching us and the world about how special dogs like you are.