For the past two years, a small but mighty pet initiative in Bay Ridge has been helping seniors care for their pets. Kiso’s Pet Food Pantry, located at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, has become a vital resource for older residents who sometimes struggle to afford pet food.
Recently, however, the pantry’s founder, Michelle Giancola, faced an unexpected challenge: the theft of the scooter that had helped keep the operation running for eight years.
The pantry began in 2022, after a chance encounter at a church event.
“I met the pastor randomly at a blessing of the animals,” Giancola told Brooklyn Paper. “I have wanted to bring my dog to a blessing of the animals his entire life. I told him, ‘I know you guys do a pantry for people here, but would you be interested in doing one about dogs, but for seniors?’”
Since then, the pantry has provided free bags of dog and cat food every three months. Seniors register their pets, and the team tailors each bag to the animal’s needs. After that, the pantry opens its doors to walk-ups, serving an additional 20 to 30 seniors.
Giancola said the pantry serves between 100 and 130 seniors quarterly.
Kiso’s Pet Food Pantry relies on donations from local pet stores, distributors or neighbors. For years, a key part of keeping things running was Giancola’s scooter.
“I’ve had that scooter for eight years,” she said. “And from the very beginning, I trained my dog to ride in it.”
Two weeks ago, that scooter disappeared.
“Two Wednesdays ago, I left it where I always park it in front of where I live,” she said. “The next day, I was like ‘Where’s my scooter?’ It wasn’t towed and I realized it was stolen.”
Giancola said a neighbor’s security footage showed two teenagers rolling it away around 10:30 p.m.
While the theft hasn’t stopped the pantry, it has made small donation pickups more difficult. “It’s not about the scooter, it’s about getting pet food to help seniors.”
Giancola said many seniors face difficult choices — “there are certain times where they decide to buy food for themselves or their pets,” she told Brooklyn Paper. “And sometimes, the answer is buying food for one and both will eat it. And our goal is not to let that happen.”
Currently, Kiso Pet Pantry delivers to five homebound seniors but hopes to expand with more volunteers and food donations. “We want them to always be able to have enough nutritional food. If they don’t have to worry about dog and cat food, then there’s a better chance they’re going to feed themselves.”
For now, the work continues, scooter or not. “As far as my scooter, I miss it like crazy,” she admitted. “My dog does not want to drive in a car. He only wants to be on the scooter.”
The next event will take place on Sept. 20 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Seniors 62 and older can register online through Wednesday, Sept. 17.
