The tragic June flooding of the Iowa and Cedar Rivers in eastern Iowa gave Ron and Wendy Solsrud's family and their employees an unexpected chance to help the pets and people in their community. It's an experience they won't soon forget.
The Solsruds, owners of the Iowa City Petland for the past two years, used their store as a base to reach out to animal shelters in desperate need of supplies because of the flood. The Petland team's extraordinary efforts helped four shelters in the area and aided an estimated 2,000 displaced pets.
When the need became apparent, Inventory Control Manager Denise Cassidy began pounding the phones, calling Petland suppliers in order to get food, collars, leads, toys and other items for the animals arriving at the shelters because of the flood.
The calls paid off-the Solsruds received an estimated 10,000 pounds of dog food from manufacturers, as well as three large boxes filled with collars and leads. About 700 much-needed cardboard pet carriers arrived for pet transport.
Ron delivered the supplies, driving for hours on gravel roads, creating his own "secret passage" he said, because no main roads were open. He was able to keep critical stuff coming for the desperate animals displaced by the floodwaters, which crested at a record 32 feet above flood stage before beginning the slow retreat to normal levels.
The store also coordinated a money and supplies donation effort that has lasted beyond the immediate emergency. The flooding caused an estimated $737 million in damage in the surrounding area.
Sandbags and Khaki Pants
The family not only helped animals, but were also able to lend a hand to people in need, filling sandbags in front of a mobile home park threatened by the waters.
Ron worked the first day dressed nicely in a pair of khaki pants and a good pair of dress shoes. The next day, attired more appropriately, he took 11-year-old son Andrew in tow and again worked the sand bag line.
Andrew shoveled sand into upside-down orange traffic cones that served as funnels for the sandbags.
He lifted the heavy shovel load hour after hour, until he was so tired, his arms quivered with the effort.
"It just tugged at my heart, to see how much he wanted to give," Ron said. The floodwaters may have retreated, but the memories are still vivid.
Let's fast-forward to the present. Their Petland store, located in the Sycamore Mall in Iowa City, was spared any damage from the floodwaters, and is thriving. It is regularly ranked number one (or at least in the top five) in Coastal purchases in the Petland franchise.