First of all, good going for pulling all that dog food out of the dumpster. What an appalling waste it would have been when so many need help feeding their dogs. I was going to ask about shelters but that's already been covered.

I can imagine how you felt when your friend broke down, but in a way it was good that she could shed tears with you. When I was about 15, and a very socially inept teen I was, I went door to door for my church asking for donations one autumn. I stopped at a home where I knew the people a little, especially the older son who went to my school. The husband and wife came to the door, looking rather serious and distracted but gave me some money. I felt uncomfortable because I thought they were annoyed with me for calling. The next day I found out that their younger son, who was about 12, had died of leukemia and I'd called at their home just after they got back from the hospital. I don't know how many people told me that I couldn't have known, that I shouldn't feel bad, but I never stopped beating myself up about it.