ASPCA and Food Bank For NYC Working Together to Help Pet Owners Gain Access to Pet Food & Vital Vet Care

NEW YORK–The ASPCA ® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ®), in partnership with Food Bank For New York City, today announced that they have distributed approximately 400,000 pet food meals to pet owners in need across the city. Nearly 100,000 pounds of dog and cat food have been delivered to 254 Food Bank partner pantries in all five boroughs since the partnership launched at the end of 2017.

The ASPCA has committed to provide Food Bank with $100,000 in grant funding per year for three years to acquire and distribute the pet food throughout its extensive network of community-based partner agencies. Pet owners receiving the food are also provided with information on how to access ASPCA services, including affordable veterinary care, spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, flea/tick prevention and other general wellness services. The ASPCA grant funding was made available thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor.

“People and their pets suffer equally under the stress of poverty, but both populations can be helped with even greater impact when organizations with different missions, like the ASPCA and Food Bank For NYC, join forces to tackle shared challenges and deliver vital resources when and where they’re most needed,” said ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker. “Our partnership with Food Bank, now in its second year, reflects our shared commitment to support vulnerable New Yorkers, whether they’re pets or people.”

“One in five New Yorkers struggles with food insecurity, and that forces them to make tough decisions when it comes to basic expenses,” said Food Bank Chief Development Officer Francisco Tezen. “As New Yorkers in need face difficult choices between putting food on the table, paying for utilities and rent, or caring for pets, collaborations like this provide an added layer of support in hopes that they don’t have to make that choice.”

The ASPCA is committed to collaborating with various city agencies, human services groups and nonprofit organizations to provide comprehensive support and services to at-risk pets. ASPCA research shows that a lack of affordable veterinary care and access to spay/neuter services is a primary contributor to pet relinquishment, and that many of these challenges can be effectively averted with minimal resources.

Responding to these insights, the ASPCA has piloted mobile pet care clinics in communities in the Bronx and Brooklyn. It has also launched programs and partnerships Los Angeles and Miami that make veterinary care more accessible and affordable for owners at risk of relinquishing their pets. For more information on the ASPCA’s efforts to help at-risk animals, please visit www.aspca.org.