"He's precious to me. He's meant so much to me as a companion," said Smith, who has been alone since her husband died six years ago. "He's been such a blessing to me."

A partnership between the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Polk County Elderly Services will help Smith provide Scooby Doo the nutritious food he needs to remain healthy through the SPCA program Animeals.

Unable to drive, Smith, 74, boards a county van each day during the week to attend Fellowship Dining, a program of Polk County Elderly Services, at the Winter Haven Senior Center.

"It's meant the world to me," she said. The free meals enable her to save money while eating healthy food. And since transportation is provided, Smith doesn't have to worry about finding a way to get to the center.

And now she doesn't have to worry about finding a way to the store to purchase food for Scooby Doo. Through the Animeals Program, pet food collected by the SPCA is distributed through the Fellowship Dining and Nutrition Program, which includes congregate dining and home delivered meals. Pet owners who attend the Fellowship Dining, like Smith, are eligible to have food delivered to their home.

Scooby Doo received his first supply of dog food this week with new bags arriving every two weeks.

"It helps a lot. I'm a widow on Social Security and anything helps," she said. "Dog food is not cheap and I don't have transportation."

Hope Jones, director of Polk County Elderly Services, said about 14 pet owners using the Fellowship Dining are currently receiving food through the program.

"The program is just getting started. I expect the number to increase," Jones said. "We need to start this type of program slowly to pilot it and work out the kinks."

While dogs and cats make up the bulk of pet food recipients, there have been some requests for bird seed, too.

According to Jones, a survey was sent to clients of Elderly Services to gather information about the type of pet, its food needs and approximate consumption over two weeks. Each client then receives a bag of food specifically tailored to the household pet.

With 776 people receiving home delivered meals and another 582 attending Fellowship Dining, there's plenty of opportunity for the program to grow.

Jones said the Animeals program benefits both the pet and the owner.

"This helps people have money to buy food for themselves," she said. "These are elderly people on a low income. Pet food is expensive. This gives them money to spend on food, medication or other needs."

Jones said that often elderly pet owners will share their own food with pets.

"They cut themselves short and it doesn't give the pet the benefits it needs," she said.

Receiving pet food from the program also allows owners to consume their own food without feeling the need to share with their animals.

"A lot of the recipients don't have the means to feed their dogs as often as necessary," said Rachel Bulman, public relations director for the SPCA in Lakeland. "These are people who really need our help."

By providing these animals the food they require for good health, SPCA is also boosting the health of those who own them.

"Companionship decreases blood pressure and reduces heart disease," Bulman said.

SPCA distributes food through the county's Fellowship Dining Program as well as Meals on Wheels. Over 50 households are receiving pet food but Bulman said this number is growing.

Pet food - for dogs, cats, birds and rabbits - is collected in donation bins placed in various businesses in Lakeland. But Bulman said SPCA is looking for businesses in Winter Haven and Bartow who are willing to participate as a donation drop-off site. As more food is collected, the number of food distributions made each month may increase.

"We really want to find funding to bridge the gap between animals and people," Bulman said. "We can't reach animals without reaching out to people."

And they don't want to limit the help to food.

"Our main goal is to reach out to them for more than food banks," Bulman said. "We really want to provide medical care for these pets."