It started in 2022 when Kelly Smith approached former Mountainside Martial Arts owner Rick Savagian about helping an animal rescue that was founded during one of the Valley’s darkest periods in recent memory.
And this weekend, Smith and a band of volunteers that includes Savagian will launch the fifth annual Yes to Pets food and animal accessory drive throughout the East Valley.
Continuing through Oct. 3, the drive aims to collect food and other items that people can drop off at 111 businesses and other locations to help Lost Our Home, a longtime Tempe-based rescue…