Column: Pet food pantry programs aim to keep pets at home and out of shelters
Pasadena Humane offers a Pet Food Pantry that provides free pet food and basic supplies to dog and cat owners in need within our animal care and control service area. The Pet Food Pantry is part of Helping Paws, a donor-supported program designed to keep pets with the people who love them and prevent shelter surrenders whenever possible. To learn more, visit pasadenahumane.org
If you’ve never faced the heartbreaking choice between buying food for yourself or purchasing food for your beloved pets, you should know that this is a very real dilemma for many families who are struggling financially.
With the rising cost of groceries, housing, gas, and nearly everything else, most of us are being forced to take a hard look at our budgets. Sometimes, this means pet owners make the painful decision that they can no longer afford to feed both themselves and their pets.
That is the exact situation armed forces veteran, Manny, found himself in a few years ago. Manny’s wife was suffering from several medical problems, and to make matters worse, the couple was evicted from their home.
With mounting medical bills, they found the cost of food for their two dogs had become an impossible hurdle. Romeo, a lab/terrier mix, and Lady Pearl, a 15-year-old terrier, had been Manny’s loyal companions for years.
Manny worried he might have to relinquish his senior dogs to a shelter, which is the fate of many pets throughout the country whose families face food insecurity. Fortunately, Manny came to Pasadena Humane to ask for help and learned about our Pet Food Pantry.
The Pet Food Pantry is part of Helping Paws, Pasadena Humane’s donor-supported program designed to keep pets with the people who love them and to prevent shelter surrender whenever possible.
Manny signed up for our Pet Food Pantry, and he was able to get kibble for his dogs. “It really helped us through a tough time,” he says.
The Helping Paws program, open to residents in Pasadena Humane’s service area, provides access to free pet food, basic supplies, low- or no-cost vaccines, spay/neuter services and more. This year alone, nearly 3,000 pet owners have received some sort of assistance from the Helping Paws program.
Removing the financial stress of caring for his senior dogs allowed Manny to focus on caring for his ailing wife and finding a place to live.
“Helping Paws was there for us,” says Manny. “We were able to get food for the dogs, which allowed us to keep them. They have been such a blessing through a very difficult time.”
Stories like Manny’s remind me why I’m so grateful to work at an organization that is not only a shelter, but a true animal resource center. So far this year, more than 250,000 meals have been provided from our Pet Food Pantry.
Providing a helping hand (and paw) to pet owners in our community is an important part of our mission. Manny’s story is just one of many, but it highlights the profound impact our support programs have on the lives of pets and their families.
As the holiday season approaches, my wish is for every pet to have a place to call home, surrounded by love and warmth—just like Romeo and Lady Pearl.
To learn more about our Helping Paws program and how you can support pets in need, visit pasadenahumane.org
Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.
This blog post originally appeared as a column in the Pasadena Star-News on December 13, 2024.
