We were lucky to catch up with Scout Samples recently and have shared our conversation below.

Scout, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Kibble 2 Care provides Georgia Resident’s under financial distress with kibble and other necessary care to help keep pets at home, and reduce the amount of owner surrenders at our local shelters. We are also the ONLY traveling pet food pantry in Georgia. A lot of times, this looks like traveling to very rural areas in Georgia where resources are limited. Some places we visit, there is only one veterinarian in the entire town – and the next avalaible resource is over an hour away. We have also made visits to homes of elderly people who are bedridden and unable to simply go to the grocery store to get food for their pets. There seems to be many resources for people struggling financially, but not pet related.

Scout, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For years i worked in the animal field, at our local shelter, dog training facilites and vet clincis. During that time i unfortunately saw many animals being rehomed. I quickly realized that the most common reason was from lack of financial means…. so i got to thinking. I had an idea of a pet food pantry for at least 2 years, but never had the time to start things up. I pushed the thought in the back of my head, and slapped it on my vision board.
Then, Covid-19 had other plans. I was laid off from my job, and suddenly had a lot of time on my hands.
Scrolling through social media, i saw the same thing i was used to but WORSE. Animals being rehomed, owner surrenders at an all time high, so i got my butt into gear and started working on a plan.
Actually… i don’t even know if you could call it a plan. I created a Facebook page, started sharing… and soon i realized that there was a greater need then i envisioned.
Every year, over 131,000 animals are destroyed in metro Atlanta shelters? This is at no fault to our shelters here in GA, but merely lack of resources and education.
And that is what Kibble 2 Care is all about. We will do whatever it takes to keep pets at home where they belong.

We fed 2,969 pets in just 2 short years serving Georgia. We are currently on a short break form providing our services, as i get my Veterinary Technician license. The goal is to bring Kibble 2 Care back and even better – by also including veterinary services in our program.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After starting Kibble 2 Care in April of 2020, I was surprised to find out I was pregnant with my son in December of the same year. I worried about how I would juggle a full time job, running the nonprofit, AND a newborn! It wasn’t easy, but it is so rewarding being able to teach my son how to serve others and many other important life lessons that are thrown my way each day.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I relied heavily on friends, family and my personal community. I really wanted Kibble 2 Care to be a buisness free of debt, and we were able to make that happen. Sharing your mission, goals, and being completely open and vunerable with those around you is the best way to do so.     

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/kibble2care
• Facebook: facebook.com/kibble2care
• Other: Donate to our mission Paypal.me/kibble2care Venmo @kibble2care We are currently on our short remission, all proceeds will go to opening back up our program,