With the holidays approaching and the spirit of giving unleashed, food drives are in full force, but one drive is unique because it is collecting food to fill the tummies of furry friends.

The Greater Dayton Professional Pet Sitters Network is conducting the Hungry Bowl pet food drive Dec. 1-12, in conjunction with the Pet Sitters International Hungry Bowl campaign. Donations will go to shelters an organization that helps pet owners who can’t afford pet food for their animals.

“We’re collecting cat and dog food to benefit People and Paws this year,” said Nancy Fiorita, a certified professional pet sitter and team leader for the Hungry Bowl fundraiser. “We’ve done this for three years. I think it really makes a difference for many people and their pets.”

Labeled donation containers are located at Pets in Stitches, Spay and Neuter Clinic in Miamisburg; Traveler’s Stay and Play in Waynesville; Dayton Racquet Club in Dayton; and Dr. Sue’s Animal Clinic in Bellbrook.

In 2010, the Greater Dayton Professional Pet Sitters Network donated 500 pounds to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center and in 2011 collected 700 pounds of food for the Xenia Animal Shelter.

This year the group hopes to collect more than 700 pounds of pet food for People and Paws, a food bank started by Joyce Ahmad to provide pet provisions for financially fragile pet owners.

“I’m a pet lover and always have been and one night I was watching a TV program about a family that surrendered their two labs to a shelter because they had lost their home,” said Ahmad, who started the People and Paws program in 2010. “I started to cry and my husband asked why I didn’t do something about it…so I did.”

People and Paws operates out of Christ Lutheran Church the third Saturday of every month from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Those needing pet food are asked to bring two human food items to exchange for pet food, or cat litter. The human food is then donated to local food banks. For more information, call (937) 912-5965.

“In this financially fragile area, sometimes the only stability people have is their pets and it’s our mission to keep the pets in their loving homes and out of shelters,” said Ahmad, who hopes to increase the distribution of pet food to two times per month. “We have a homeless man, who comes every month with his dog. When I look into the dog’s eyes, I can see how much he loves the man and how much the man loves his dog. We get to know the people who come regularly and some of their stories are heartbreaking. They’re wonderful people, but times are tough.”