Food insecurity is on the rise across the country. We’ve seen on the news the miles-long lines of people in cars waiting to pick up food donations and interviews with food pantry workers talking about the huge increase in the number of people who need assistance with food. It’s been reported that for a majority of people going to local food banks, this is the first time that they have needed help with food. In fact, some food pantries in the U.S. have seen an increase of demand up to 200%. During times as difficult as these, many families who need help feeding their families also have pets who are also in need of food.

Pet Food and Other Pet Assistance in the Los Angeles Area

Food pantries and charity organizations (for people and pets) have been working overtime to help so many. Below are some programs in the Los Angeles area that provide food to people with cats and dogs. Please check with each organization for specifics on how they operate to find out if there are any requirements (living in a certain area, proof of low-income status, etc.) to obtaining pet food or other services.

• Pet Food Pantry from LA Animal Services Center has two locations to serve people with pets, which are Chesterfield Square  and East Valley. If you are unable to go online, you may call the Pet Food Pantry line at Chesterfield Square at 213-326-2788 or the Pet Food Pantry line at East Valley at 213-264-8985 to register and make an appointment.
• Home Dog LA is the intervention program at North Central Shelter in Los Angeles and provides assistance to pet owners to help them keep their animals, rather than surrendering them due to financial issues. They can help with pet food and other services. You can call them at 213-221-4895. (As a volunteer at North Central, I am very happy to know the women in this organization and have seen them help many people keep their animals by offering assistance with food and medical vouchers for treatment, as well as helping people who have very ill animals who need financial assistance with humane euthanasia.)
• PAWS/LA is dedicated to preserving the human-animal bond and provides assistance to low-income seniors and people disabled with life threatening illnesses care for their companion animals by providing pet food and a variety of services at no charge.
• The Helping Paws Pet Food Bank from Pasadena Humane offers free food and supplies to dog and cat owners in need. The services of the Food Bank are by appointment only, and you can get started by completing an online application. Within 72 hours, you will be contacted by a Pasadena Humane staff member with next steps.
• Skid Rover is a project by HHCLA and provides collars, leashes, and dog food to people with pets living in Skid Row.

Please note that many of the organizations above accept donations online, so if you are able to help, please check out their websites for more information.

How You Can Help

Maybe you have a finicky cat who has very particular likes and refuses to eat the new canned food you bought him. That entire case of food is taking up space in your house and you know that your cat will not eat it. This is a perfect situation to reach out to a local food pantry, rescue, or shelter and find out if they would like it. This is a real scenario that played out with my sister and her cat, and thanks to her picky cat, my sister gave me a case of good quality, wet cat food to donate.

When you are at a pet supply store and see food or treats that are nearing their expiration date, a torn bag of dry food, or cans of wet food that got banged up in transit, it’s worth asking if they would consider giving you a discount. One time while making a purchase at a local pet supply store, I told the sales associate that I volunteer at an animal shelter and she gave me a bunch of dog items that others had donated to the store and told me that I could use them in any way that would help. Thanks to her generosity (and that of the donors), I was able to share leashes, clothes, and collars to people who needed them.

Reach out to a local food pantry and ask if they accept pet food and treats. I spoke with the program director at the Food Pantry at Friends in Deed in Pasadena and he let me know that pet food donations are greatly appreciated, as many of the people they serve have pets. I had come across a good deal on a case of canned dog food online and bought a big box of treats that were on sale at my local store, so I felt like I hit the jackpot. I divvyed up the treats into Ziploc bags to make it quick and easy for the volunteers to share with many people. On a different occasion, a local pet supply and grooming store reached out to me and let me know that they had pet food to donate, so I went and picked it up and brought the food to the Food Pantry.

There are many things that you can do to help pets in need, especially when so many people are experiencing financial difficulties as widespread as what we are experiencing during this pandemic. And if you need help, please ask. There is someone out there who is ready to help.