- March 8, 2025
For Kitty and Andrew Jones, their four dogs are not just pets; they’re family. The dogs’ needs always come before their own.
After Kitty Jones lost her job two years ago, money was tight. When Andrew Jones lost his job right after Christmas, things became even harder. They were concerned about making ends meet for themselves, of course, but more importantly, they were worried about how to buy the 100 pounds of food per month needed to feed their dogs.
That’s where Kibbles Kitchen, a program by K9 Rescue, came in. The nonprofit brings food to dog owners who can’t otherwise afford it. It was started by Sharon Gorski while she was living in Michigan. Late last year, she moved to Palm Coast, and now, she’s running her organization here.
“There are a lot of people in need in Flagler County,” Gorski said. “People will feed their animals before they’ll feed themselves if they have to.”
Gorksi has taken over for the food pantry at the Flagler County Humane Society, which no longer has room for it. Any food donations to the Humane Society go to Kibbles Kitchen. Gorski and her volunteers screen applicants and deliver food to those who need it.
Andrew and Kitty Jones received the first food delivery at the end of February. For them, the donation was a lifesaver.
“Giving our dogs up is not an option for us,” Kitty Jones said. “We would live in a tent before we did that.”
Gorski, who is originally from Palm Coast, started her organization after volunteering after the 1998 wildfires. Then, she did disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina victims.
“When you have an emergency, you get assistance from the federal and state governments,” Gorski said. “But nobody gives help for your pets.”
The Jones family is so far the only family to receive food, but Gorski is in the process of reviewing a handful of other applicants. Then, K9 Rescue sends a representative on a home visit before any food is donated. More than six years of experience with this outreach program taught Gorski the importance of verifying the need: She has seen people who say they have four dogs when they really have two, people selling donated dog food for drugs, and she has walked into dog fighting rings. It is imperative that recipients are verified, Gorski said.
Andrew and Kitty Jones are permanent recipients for the organization. They’re scheduled to get 30 pounds of food per dog every other month.
Right now, K9 Rescue needs dog food donations and volunteers who can either answer phone calls, help with deliveries or go on home visits. Gorski said she knows no matter how much food she collects, there will always be more animals in the area who could use her help.
Volunteers or donors can call 597-2017 for more information.
“It’s a wonderful program and very well needed,” Kitty Jones said. “In Flagler County, we have so many people who aren’t making it for themselves, let alone for their animals.”
Humane Heroes program launches
Every day, there are about 300 homeless animals at the Flagler Humane Society. Each year, the organization serves more than 4,000 animals.
“It costs a lot of money to house, feed and provide medical care to so many animals,” said Dr. Gary Shelton, medical director and interim director of the Humane Society. “People don’t realize that we spend $13,000 per month on medical care, $3,000 per month on food and $4,500 per month just on utilities.”
To help, the organization announced its new Humane Hero membership program, which facilitates members donating on a monthly or a yearly basis to support the shelter. Membership packages range from $30 per year to $50 per month.
More information and membership applications are available at www.flaglerhumanesociety.org/humane-heroes.
