NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Sarah Lungwitz is concerned that the end of SNAP benefits means she's not only feeding her two teenage daughters, but also her family's cats and two dogs.
She said the help now comes after an Illinois nonprofit last week arranged for volunteers to give her a grocery gift card so she could buy food for herself and her pets. It's one of a growing effort to help struggling pet owners save money from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments. going out late during government shutdown, which is the longest on the recording.
“I don't even make enough money for all my bills, let alone groceries,” said Lungwitz, a 46-year-old auto parts store worker who worries she might have to give up her cat, Bambi, and two dogs, Spike and Chloe.
Supreme Court On Friday, it granted the Trump administration's emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food assistance benefits amid the government shutdown, even though residents in more than a half-dozen states have already received the funds. The uncertainty is putting a strain on shelters.
Although SNAP cannot be used to purchase pet food, the food assistance program helps low-income families free up money to purchase pet food. Owners also often supplement or completely feed their animals with human food purchased through SNAP, said Stephanie Hicks, executive director of Care for Pets, a nonprofit in Rockford, Ill., that has helped Lungwitz and others. Some volunteers walked grocery aisles with struggling pet owners.
Humane World, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, estimates that more than 20 million pets live in poverty with their families. Economic stress is one of the main reasons animals are surrendered to shelters, spokeswoman Kirsten Peake said.
While it's too early to tell if that's happening, groups are collecting pet food as shelters worry about a possible surge as the closure also leaves hundreds of thousands of laid-off workers without pay.
“An increase in surrender rates is always a concern when there is an influx of people during difficult times,” Peake said.
Find ways to extend the shelf life of your pet food.
There are concerns that one shelter in Louisiana is considering diverting money from veterinary care to buy pet food. The SNAP delays come at a particularly bad time for the Pet Alliance in Baton Rouge: The shelter recently lost a donor, forcing it to stop a program that distributes pet food to about 200 families each month.
“People are panicking. I don't know what the best word would be,” said Paula Shaw, the shelter's director of access to care, noting that it was so common for SNAP recipients to give their pets their own food that the shelter provided information about human foods that owners can add to pet food to extend its life.
Offers of pet food and Venmo donations come on the heels of Charlie's Corners for Pets Initiative in Massachusetts posting a call on Facebook last week. “We expect, at least in the short term, that demand will increase dramatically,” said Kandi Finch, a groomer who named her nonprofit after a beloved pet.
Increase in the number of families using pet food pantries
That's exactly what happened at the New Leash on Life shelter in Lebanon, Tennessee, near Nashville. The number of families using the pet food pantry jumped to 125 in October, up from 75 to 100 in a normal month, executive director Angela Chapman said.
“We would rather help them with food than give up a pet,” she said.
In New Orleans, Zeus' Rescues gave out a ton of pet food in October, double its usual amount, said founder Michelle Cherami, who said it was the highest demand she's seen in 20 years.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said, noting that some people are so desperate that they abandon animals in the shelter’s yard.
Among those seeking help Thursday was Katie Saari, who is unemployed due to health issues and struggling to arrange interviews to receive SNAP benefits amid the shutdown. Due to a lack of money, she needed food for two dogs.
“They are more important to me than I am, so I want to make sure they are fed first,” she said. “They are my children.”
Many food pantries, aware of the problem, are also stocking their shelves with pet food, said Kim Buckman of Feeding Missouri, a coalition of food banks in the state.
“We know that many people feed their pets before they do,” she said. “In some cases, it’s their emotional support animal.”
That's the case for Lungwitz, who said she has post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression. The psychiatrist advised her to get a dog because she needed walks. That's how she got her Chihuahua. Her American bulldog — 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of pure muscle — made the domestic violence survivor feel safe. She says it worked, allowing her to go out and find work.
But money is so tight that she sometimes turns to food banks for help, including donuts for her 17-year-old daughter's birthday. “I'm struggling,” she said.
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Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.
