Tuesday is Pet Hunger Awareness Day. Credit: Shutterstock / Bachkova Natalia
As food insecurity rises in U.S. households, many forget that our furry friends are included in the struggle.
This Tuesday, the San Antonio Food Bank along with partner Feeding America, will distribute pet food to support residents for Pet Hunger Awareness Day.
Starting in 2017, PetSmart Charities began working with Feeding America to donate and distribute pet resources to partnered food banks. Since then, PetSmart Charities has donated 70 million pounds of pet food to for distribution across the food bank network.
Some 50 million Americans relied on food banks in 2024, the highest number in the past decade, according to Feeding America. The rise in food insecurity affects not just families but their pets, San Antonio Food Bank Chief Philanthropy Officer Michael Guerra said.
“It’s so important to feed the whole household when we can, the two-legged and the four-legged. We want to do as much as we can for both,” Guerra said. “It’s harder to find pet food donated. It’s rare to see groups like PetSmart donate. Local pet shops will help us, but generally, it’s not easy to find. Working with PetSmart is really important to us.”
Seniors are an especially at-risk group, especially since they can face both food insecurity and social isolation, according to Guerra.
“It’s so important for seniors. Pets are often their best companions,” he added. “If we can keep them in the household, whether they can afford food or not, keeping them from being socially isolated is important.”
Alongside Pet Hunger Awareness Day, Feeding America recognizes September as Hunger Action Month. The month is used as a nationwide initiative to raise awareness, make donations and advocate for those who require food assistance.
The San Antonio Food Bank is located at 5200 Historic, Old Highway 90 West. Operations for Pet Hunger Awareness Day will run from 8:30a.m.-11:30 a.m. this Tuesday.
To help food-insecure families feed their pets, people can make donations to PetSmart Charities at PetSmart retail checkout counters or via the nonprofit’s website. The San Antonio Food Bank also accepts donations at its headquarters or online.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
The proposal also would be ‘catastrophic’ to local aid organizations, who can’t make up for the lost federal funding, CEO Eric Cooper said.
In parts of San Antonio, roughly 30% of children rely on federal nutrition assistance, a study also shows.
The recent cut yanked $3.1 million in federal help from the San Antonio Food Bank ahead of its busiest period.