Rescue Pack Marks 10th Anniversary With 51 million Meals Delivered -- and the Business Lessons Behind Them

Founder Kathy Wiesner, a former tech executive, shares 10 lessons from a decade of turning surplus pet food into a lifeline for rescues across the Great Lakes region

WEST CHICAGO, Ill., Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2025, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters¹. More than 30 million pets live in food-insecure households.² Two compelling examples of the need Rescue Pack identified a decade ago when it started its mission to impact both. The West Chicago-based nonprofit redistributes surplus pet food and supplies to rescues and families across Illinois, Indiana, Southwest Michigan and Wisconsin. Since its founding in 2016, the organization has delivered more than 51.4 million meals and redirected more than 17.1 million pounds of pet food and supplies — moved through 17,782 pallets and 655 semi-truck loads — to hundreds of rescues and community pantry partners.

Founder and Director Kathy Wiesner started Rescue Pack after a career in corporate operations at Motorola and Nokia, and she has run the organization on many of the same principles that guided her business career: build systems that scale, make it easy for partners to say yes, and never assume a problem is solved for good. In recognition of the anniversary, Wiesner is sharing 10 lessons from a decade spent building a nonprofit supply chain.

10 LESSONS FROM A DECADE OF RESCUE PACK

1. A corporate career prepares you for nonprofit work in ways you don't expect.
   "When I worked at Motorola and Nokia, I never imagined those experiences would help me build a pet food bank," Wiesner said. "Many of the lessons that helped Rescue Pack grow came from the business world — working as part of a team, building relationships, solving complex problems, managing operations, and creating systems that scale. A nonprofit can have a huge heart while still operating with the discipline of an enterprise."
   
   
2.  Rescue Pack has never really been about pet food.
   "When I started Rescue Pack, I thought I was helping move pet food and supplies from point A to point B," Wiesner said. "What I've learned is that we're really helping rescues save lives, helping families stay together, reducing waste, and strengthening communities. The food and supplies are simply what brings us all together."
   
   
3. The resources exist. Finding and unlocking them is the hard part.
   "There is no shortage of usable pet food and supplies," Wiesner said. "The challenge is finding those opportunities, getting connected to the right person inside a company, earning their trust, and creating a way to get those resources into the hands of the rescues and families who need them. What seems like a simple donation often takes months or even years of relationship-building before a single pallet ever moves."
   
   
4. A warehouse can save as many lives as a shelter.
   "When people think about animal welfare, they often picture kennels, adoptions and veterinary care," Wiesner said. "I realized that a warehouse full of pet food or supplies can be just as important. Every pallet that moves through our warehouse helps a rescue continue its lifesaving work."
   
   
5. One truck can create a ripple effect across multiple states.
   "I've watched a single truckload of donated product arrive at our warehouse and eventually help dozens of organizations, thousands of pets, and countless families across the Midwest," Wiesner said. "The impact of one donation can travel farther than most people realize."
   
   
6. Every dollar a rescue saves on food can be spent saving lives.
   "When a rescue doesn't have to worry about buying food, they can focus those dollars on medical care, transportation, spay and neuter programs, and adoptions," Wiesner said. "Sometimes the most powerful thing we do is free up someone else's budget so they can save more animals."
   
   
7. Keeping pets in homes is just as important as finding them new ones.
   "When Rescue Pack started, much of the focus in animal welfare was on adoptions," Wiesner said. "I've come to appreciate that preventing a surrender can be just as impactful as facilitating an adoption. Sometimes helping a struggling family through a difficult period keeps an animal from ever entering a shelter."
   
   
8. The strongest organizations are willing to help each other.
   "I've watched rescues share transport resources, volunteers, supplies and advice," Wiesner said. "The organizations that make the greatest impact understand that animal welfare is a team sport, and that we're all stronger when we work together."
   
   
9. The need never disappears.
   "More than once, I've thought we were finally getting ahead, only to face a new challenge, an economic downturn, or a surge in demand," Wiesner said. "Animal welfare isn't a problem we solve once. It's a commitment we make every day."
   
   
10. The impact of a pallet is impossible to measure.
    "I can tell you how many pounds we've distributed and how many meals we've provided," Wiesner said. "What I can't measure are the pets that stayed in their homes, the rescues that stayed open, and the animals that were adopted because help arrived when it was needed most. For me, the best measure of success is when a rescue tells me, 'We couldn't have done this without you.' Those moments never get old, no matter how many years pass."

In April 2026, Rescue Pack celebrated its milestone year by launching the Rescue Pack Medical Fund, which now awards $5,000 in grants each month to help Pack member rescues cover urgent veterinary care and surgeries for animals with a reasonable chance of recovery and adoption.

"This program is a testament to our shared belief that every animal deserves a chance at a healthy life and happy home, says Wiesner. "We are honored to be able to provide this additional layer of care for the organizations and animals they serve."

ABOUT RESCUE PACK

Rescue Pack is a West Chicago, Illinois-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that redistributes surplus pet food and supplies to rescues, shelters and families across Illinois, Indiana, Southwest Michigan and Wisconsin. Founded in 2016, Rescue Pack has provided more than 51.4 million meals and redirected more than 17.1 million pounds of pet food and supplies to hundreds of rescue and shelter partners across the Great Lakes region. Rescue Pack is Charity Navigator 4-Star rated and holds the Candid Transparency Seal. EIN 81-1738093. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Learn more at rescuepack.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Lisa DiBenedetto
Board Member, Rescue Pack | Lisa DiBenedetto Communications, Inc.
[email protected] | (630) 338-2208

^[1] https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/2025-report

^[2] PetSmart Charities

SOURCE Rescue Pack