Austintown tattoo studio collects food, toys, supplies for animals in need

AUSTINTOWN

Some patrons of Chinebox Ink tried to buy a bag of dog or cat food after getting a tattoo recently, jokeFAaron Chine.

That was because during December, Chine collected dog and cat food and supplies as a fundraiser.

Thursday, five area animal groups came and split the items evenly. Those groups were: A Call Fur Help, Legacy Dog Rescue, Youngstown Dogs, Falcon Animal Rescue and For The Dogs Animal Rescue. Cat supplies were split two ways, and the dog supplies were split into fourths as people loaded up their cars on a chilly afternoon.

Chinebox, 5620 Mahoning Ave., had a walkway through the front which was surrounded by 50-pound bags of dog food, big bags and boxes of dog treats, cans of stacked cat food and an occasional bone.

“It’s going to feel so empty in here,” Chine said with a smile before the supplies were loaded into vehicles.

“I have to fight back tears because this is so awesome,” said Michele Labedz of Youngstown Dogs.

“It takes a lot of pressure off because we’re always scrounging around, looking for people to help out and give us donations,” said Dan Cipriano, of Legacy Dog Rescue. “Having 40-some dogs ... any little bit helps us.”

The single biggest donor was Austintown’s Quality Petmarket, just down the road from Chine, which donated all of its samples in one truckload to the cause, said Chine, owner of the Austintown tattoo studio.

Read more about the donations and what else is needed in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.