SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Prodisee Pantry’s newest outreach fed an additional 446 souls during the month of May, but volunteers are not expecting a word of thanks in return.

A nuzzle or a sloppy kiss, perhaps, but no words.

Executive Director Deann Servos said the pantry partnered with the Baldwin County Humane Society to create the “Pet Pantry” to help serve some of the dearest members of the families seeking assistance each week from the Spanish Fort-based emergency food and referral hub.

“Families shouldn’t have to make choices like this when they already have enough to worry about, and we are so grateful to (the Humane Society) for helping us meet this need,” Servos said.

The need, she said, has long been present in the community, but the pantry is not equipped with a large enough space to stock pet supplies in addition to the food it distributes each week to Baldwin County families.

The Humane Society, in turn, agreed to provide a mobile unit to the pantry’s Tuesday distribution site at the Gathering Place, and to date some 264 dogs have received food along with 182 cats, representing 151 families.

“People are still struggling, and we just didn’t think it was right for them to have to make tough choices like whether they can afford to keep their pets when there are so many other difficult decisions on their plates. Now is not the time to even consider having to lose your furry friends,” Servos said.

Specifically, the Humane Society provided more than 1,100 pounds of dog food and almost 400 pounds of cat food to the Pet Pantry in May.

Meanwhile, the pantry’s monthly roll continues to increase with 600 families served during May, a figure that has more than doubled since May 2008 when only 255 families sought assistance.

“We’ve seen more than 3,000 families in the first five months of 2010, so there’s no question the need for these services is stronger than ever,” said Servos, anticipating continued increases in requests for assistance as the school year ends and free- and reduced-lunch programs can no longer be relied on to help feed children five days per week.