Families on SNAP worry about not just feeding themselves but also their pets
November 8, 2025
With SNAP benefits going out late, nonprofits are begging for pet food donations to prevent desperate owners from surrendering their dogs and cats to animal shelters. Nonprofits say it is common for owners to supplement their pet’s diet with human food purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits. For other owners, SNAP frees up money to buy pet food. The situation is so dire that one Louisiana shelter is considering diverting money normally used on veterinary care to buy more pet food. Another Illinois nonprofit is pairing SNAP recipients with volunteers so they can shop together for human and pet food.