Needy families can apply for pet food stamps through donation-based program

[OhioChick]

Posted: 8:09 PM
Last Updated: 1 hour and 20 minutes ago

By: CNN Newsource

NEW YORK - Families facing hard times don't have to let their pets go hungry.

A new donation-based program called Pet Food Stamps can help people buy pet food and supplies.

The organization says the food stamps could help families avoid giving up their dog or cat because they can't afford food.

"There are over 50 million Americans who currently receive Food Stamps, many with dogs or cats, who simply cannot afford to feed their animals, and these cherished companions are dropped off at animal shelters where they will most likely be put to sleep," the program's website said.

The program is based in New York and open to anyone in the United States, but it is not run by the government.

More: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/consumer/Needy-families-can-apply-for-pet-food-stamps-through-donation-based-program

https://petfoodstamps.org/Home_Page.php

I came across this, don't know much about it but I thought I'd post it for members or people lurking that have fallen on hard times and need to feed their pets.

[Autumn]

1. I wanted to see if I could donate but

all I'm getting is Service Temporarily Unavailable. Posting so I can check back on this. REC

[OhioChick]

2. I tried and got the same error message for donations

It was just posted on our local news site, so I'll try again later.

I think it's a great idea.

[frylock]

3. knr

[duffyduff]

4. I always hear this garbage that if you can't "afford" a pet, you shouldn't have one.

The fact is the poor should have as much right to have pets as anybody else. Furthermore, many people who were once middle class have ended up falling through the cracks.

Why should they have to give up their pets? Nobody tells people they should give up their kids when they fall on hard times. Besides, there are programs out there to help the poor with low-cost veterinary services and so forth.

What I DON'T want to see is any more pets having to be put in shelters or advertised on Craigslist because people can no longer have them when they fall on hard times.

[OhioChick]

5. I wholeheartedly agree with you

Pets become "family" to many and I can't fathom having to part with them due to falling on hard times. The shelters here are filled with so many cats and dogs and I know they're only kept there for a limited time. It's really a sad situation.

[Bibliovore]

7. Comments on both sides of the argument

I agree that everyone should ideally be able to have a pet regardless of their personal wealth or income level. I also think everyone should be able to have a home, and enough food, and medical care.

For all the problems with services to help kids in low-income families, there aren't many similar options for pets. This program is welcome. But a child in a low-income household can generally get medical coverage, and can get fed. A pet whose owner can't afford its upkeep may never go to the vet or may not get enough food. While that's usually still a better life than being euthanized in the pound, it's not their best living situation. And many animals, like many humans, develop more-expensive medical conditions as they age. On more than one occasion, I've given cash-strapped friends money for their pets' care.

One of our two cats has a heart condition, diagnosed soon after we adopted her from the shelter. We're very aware that as fortunate as we are to have her companionship, she's lucky to have been adopted by people with the means and willingness to get her treatment, because otherwise she'd be dead. While we're not wealthy, we can manage her meds and her cardiologist checkups, and were able to swallow the thousand-dollar hospitalization earlier this month. She's back to her usual, playful self, and looking at several more years of good life. If we couldn't afford her care and no support programs were available, we'd try to get her adopted by someone who would give her what she needs instead of letting her die. We wouldn't have adopted cats if we didn't feel we could provide for them, and I'm hesitant to encourage people to take on the responsibilities of a pet if they can't afford it. But it'd be awful to have to give up an existing pet because of a job loss or other financial crisis.

Of course, not everyone who CAN afford it takes good care of their pets, much as not all better-off parents take good care of their kids.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. Whew! I thought this was going to be about Bowles Simpson

[OhioChick]

8. ..