PRESS RELEASE

Above: Project Street Vet Founder and Kismet’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Kwane Stewart and
entertainer, entrepreneur and Kismet co-founder John Legend celebrate the grand opening of the new
pet food pantry at the City of Long Beach's Multi-Service Center on July 12, 2024.

Long Beach, CA – Today, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) announced a new pet food pantry, sponsored by Project Street Vet, a nonprofit serving pets belonging to people experiencing homelessness, and Kismet, a new pet brand co-founded by entertainers and entrepreneurs John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. Legend was on site to celebrate the opening, with Kismet donating over 2,500 pounds of food and treats for dogs to the Project Street Vet initiative.

“We are thrilled to announce this new partnership and are so grateful to Project Street Vet and Kismet for making it happen,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Pets provide comfort, companionship and unconditional love. For people experiencing homelessness, pets can also foster a sense of normality and family in a world that can otherwise be very lonely.”

Anyone who visits the Multi-Service Center (MSC), Long Beach’s one-stop shop for accessing homeless services, will be able to pick up pet food whenever they need it, as the pet food pantry will be available whenever the MSC is open. Long Beach is the tenth community served by Project Street Vet, which empowers veterinary teams to deliver professional, non-judgmental medical care and support to pet families experiencing homelessness and housing vulnerability. The organization, which is largely volunteer led, has worked with the Health Department on pet health care since 2023.

“I work with pet communities that don’t have access to consistent nutrition or care, so to be able to open a pantry for those in need here – and to stock it with Kismet, the best dog food – is doubly rewarding,” said Dr. Kwane Stewart, who is Project Street Vet’s Founder and Kismet’s Chief Veterinary Officer. “The food is available every day that the Multi-Service Center is open. No questions asked.”

Dr. Stewart was awarded CNN’s Hero of the Year in 2023 in recognition of his work.  Legend and Teigen tapped the long-time vet to join Kismet for his experience in medicine and commitment to animal welfare.

“We are animal lovers to our core and supporting our local pet communities has always been very important to us when building Kismet,” said Kismet Chief Executive Officer, Mathé Young Mosny. “We’re proud to work alongside Project Street Vet and the city of Long Beach to bring food to those in need.”

Every order at kismetpets.com supports the business's philanthropic arm, Kismet Cares, and its beneficiaries: Project Street Vet and Paws for Life. Recognizing the transformative power of dogs as companions and rehabilitation partners, Kismet is committed to programs rooted in the belief that every individual – regardless of past struggles – deserves a chance at redemption.

The City of Long Beach has collected pet food, among other needed items, through donation drive-thru events and collection boxes at public libraries since early 2023. The establishment of the pet food pantry builds upon those efforts by providing a steady supply of pet food at the Multi-Service Center for people experiencing homelessness.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Long Beach Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on Instagram, Facebook and X.

About Project Street Vet
Project Street Vet is a nonprofit that empowers veterinary teams to deliver professional, non-judgmental medical care and support to pet families experiencing homelessness and housing vulnerability. Long Beach is now among the 10 communities served thanks to our volunteers, partners and donors including their Title Sponsor, Fetch Pet Insurance. The Project Street Vet Long Beach Pet Food Pantry is the organization's second pet pantry in Southern California, with its first serving those in the Skid Row, LA, community. To support Project Street Vet and learn more, please visit projectstreetvet.org

About Kismet
Founded by longtime dog lovers Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, Kismet makes premium foods, lifestyle goods, and content for today’s modern dog families. Because you and your dog were made for each other – and Kismet is made for you. For more information, visit kismetpets.com and follow @kismet on Instagram / TikTok.