By Hannah Deadman-Arnst
When it comes to helping dogs and cats find “furever” homes, most rescue organizations must be resourceful.
With a commitment to providing love and quality care for homeless pets in South Florida, Good Karma Pet Rescue (based in Fort Lauderdale) is doing just that. Since Good Karma is volunteer-based, the organization relies on donations to meet the demand of helping hundreds of pets and sourcing critical supplies like food and medicine.
Jessica Jerchower started volunteering with the foster-based organization seven years ago. Since Jerchower lives in Wellington and was unable to regularly drive to Fort Lauderdale for supplies, she decided to get creative to cover costs.
Enter GotSneakers, a zero-waste sneaker recycling company in Miami that recycles and reuses sneakers. According to the organization, over 200 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills each year. So, the company accepts used sneakers and recycles or sends them to other nations in need. Any shoes deemed unviable are given to a renewable energy facility in Florida, where the shoes are broken down and used to provide clean, renewable energy throughout the state.
It was perfect timing. After learning about the company’s sneaker drive fundraiser program, Jerchower signed up. Now, she’s in her second year of utilizing GotSneakers to raise critical funds for Good Karma Pet Rescue.
“Fosters often need to rely on what’s been donated. So, I was able to use the sneaker money for special situations,” she says. “For example, sometimes with medical cases, it’s cheaper to remove [a pet’s] eye than save it. But if we have the resources to save the eye with that money, we can do that.”
Jerchower says she receives 25 cents to $7 per pair of shoes, even raising up to $250 a month. This supplements the cost of medical care, food, litter, and other supplies that Good Karma shelter pets desperately need. What’s more, the shoes are kept out of landfills—and South Florida’s precious ecosystems.
Jerchower calls the program a win-win for all.
“Why throw [sneakers] away when you can just give them to the rescue?” she shares. “It’s not costing anything for [people] to give to them us.”
While the program helps cover the ongoing demand of caring for pets and helping them find forever homes, Jerchower says one of Good Karma’s biggest challenges is keeping the rescue’s shelves stocked with food and litter.
Another is dealing with the continual influx of kittens as Florida continues to face a serious cat overpopulation problem. Each day, Good Karma receives calls for kittens. If they have an open foster, the organization can take the felines in—but often they must turn kittens away due to demand.
Other challenges include paying down balances at the vet and covering Good Karma’s transportation costs to bring adoptable kittens to shelters in the Northeast—a region that does not have a cat population issue and therefore can take in more adoptables.
Good Karma Pet Rescue currently partners with several local businesses to host GotSneakers collection locations, including Wellington Tennis Center, Pet Supplies Plus in Boca Raton, and Wellington Pilates. However, Good Karma is looking for more partners in South Florida. Students can even earn volunteer hours for hosting a collection.
“We are not in this to make money—we are there to save the animals,” Jerchower says.
To find out how to partner with Good Karma Pet Rescue through GotSneakers, click here. To learn more about Good Karma, search for an adoptable pet, or volunteer, visit goodkarmapetrescue.org.
