For those struggling to put food on the table right now, keeping pets fed can become an insurmountable challenge.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why agencies across North Texas launched emergency initiatives this week to keep pets at home and out of already overcrowded shelters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the SNAP benefits not being continued at the moment, many families are making those really difficult choices of, do I feed my pets or do I feed my family?\u201d said Dallas Pets Alive Vice President of Animal Operations Sarah\u00a0 McGoldrick.<\/p>\n
This week, Dallas Pets Alive<\/a> began collecting and distributing food at the Humane Society of Dallas at 2719 Manor Way from 12 to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also partnered with Community Beer Company, which receives donations from Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 3110 Commonwealth Drive. Donors will receive a free pint.<\/p>\n \u201cReally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s no shame in coming to a pet pantry. There’s no shame in picking up an extra bag of food that’s donated that’s free. That is really the easiest thing to do, and I know sometimes it can come with a little bit of embarrassment. But please don’t be embarrassed, please. We are here to help, we are happy to help,\u201d said McGoldrick.<\/p>\n The effort comes as animal advocates, like the Humane Society of North Texas<\/a>, report a six-week uptick in the number of calls from people looking to surrender their pets.<\/p>\n While the SPCA of Texas<\/a> said its call volume has yet to shift, it\u2019s already ramping up to help neighbors in crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a reality of just the world that we live in that people will continue to need support for their pets,\u201d said Vice President of Marketing and Communications Maura Davies.<\/p>\n Davies said pet owners looking for help with food, medical care or even the ability to pay pet rent can reach out via email at helpmypetatspca.org.<\/p>\n They can also visit the Russell H. Prairie Pet Resource Center.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have our pet pantry open every day single Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. That’s at 2400 Lone Star Drive in Dallas and we have a drive-through pet pantry every third Sunday. So that’s coming up on November 16th from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Both agencies are also pointing people to resources like Don\u2019t Forget to Feed Me<\/a>.<\/p>\n The pet food bank, which is the only one of its kind in North Texas, was born out of the recession.<\/p>\n