Rockford business ships pet food to hurricane-impacted animal shelter in South Carolina

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A Rockford manufacturing plant is sending pet food donations to help those in the Southeast affected by Hurricane Helene.

425 Manufacturing, at 2500 Harrison Avenue, sent 2,100 lbs. of dog and cat food on a truck Friday morning, bound for South Carolina, where it will be received by a shelter inundated with stray animals.

“We do as much as we can to give back to the community,” said 425 Manufacturing Vice President Tyler Thomason. “Without the community, we wouldn’t be where we’re at right now.”

Thomason said his company called around to shelters in North and South Carolina, but struggled to connect due to service issued in the affected areas.

He was able to get a hold of Jasper Animal Rescue Mission in Ridgeland, South Carolina, who said they needed a lot of help.

“Their budget doesn’t allow them to do much outside what their normal capacity is, and right now they’re over capacity with all the in-flow of animals coming from North Carolina coming down to South Carolina,” Thomason said.

He said he expected the food to arrive at its destination within two to three days.

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