About Us
Knowing that there are 12 million homeless pets in shelters in this country has motivated Zack and Thomas to be part of the solution to the homeless pet problem. When Zack turned six, he asked his friends to bring pet food to his birthday party in lieu of gifts for him. It was so successful that he has continued to do this every year for his birthday. Thomas soon asked his friends to bring pet food for his birthday parties also. Together, Zack and Thomas have donated more than 1,000 pounds of pet food to local animal shelters. As Thomas says, “It isn’t how small you are, it's how big your heart is.”
In 2005, Zack and Thomas began volunteering on Saturdays for Aiding and A-Petting, a non-profit pet rescue organization in Atlanta. They soon wanted to make dog biscuits for the animals they saw there. The dog biscuits became a huge hit as they were fed to the homeless pets and sold at the adoption site to raise money for the organization.
Zack and Thomas wanted to do more. With the guidance of their parents, they set up a web site in the spring of 2007 to sell their dog biscuits. They both work hard to sell their biscuits by on-line orders and through word-of-mouth. They bake biscuits on the weekends, then fill and ship the orders. They have donated approximately $10,000 since they began baking biscuits.
In 2006, Zack earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award for his hours spent helping homeless pets. They both earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
In July of 2008, Zack and Thomas were honored to be chosen by Disney's Wondertime Magazine and the nonprofit Points of Light Foundation as Grand Prize winners in the "Littlest Volunteers" contest. The Mayor and City Council of the City of Milton declared October 6th "Zack and Thomas Adopt a Shelter Pet" day and awarded the brothers with an official Proclamation.
In 2008, they were awarded the "Shining World Compassion Award" in recognition for their efforts.
Zack was named the middle school State Honoree in "The Prudential Spirit of Community Award" program, which is the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The Mayor and City Council of the City of Milton declared March 16th as "Zack Eller Day" and presented him with an official Proclamation.
Zack was awarded the 2009 Young Hero of North Fulton Award from the Roswell Rotary Club and the Teaching Museum North. He also received the DAR Citizenship Award.
Zack was a finalist for the 2010 Humane Teen of the Year Award. He received an Honorable Mention for his exceptional contributions to animal protection from the Humane Society of the United States. Additionally, he was the local store winner in the Kohl's Kids Who Care contest.
Zack and Thomas are not only on a mission to help the homeless pets, they are inspiring others to get involved. They attend various functions around town, so stop and meet these outstanding young people. Be sure to give their homemade biscuits a sniff and buy some for your pet. By purchasing their Woof ‘em Down Dog Biscuits, you will be helping homeless pets until they can find a home.
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