Food Stamps for Pets Provide Relief to Low-Income Pet Owners

Pet Food stamps for low-income households are providing relief for pet owners, reported The Christian Science Monitor.

The news arrived to the rescue of pet lovers across New York this week when a new donation-based program, Pet Food Stamps based in New York, said they want to help low-income families who couldn't afford to keep feeding their pets on top of other responsibilities.

A variety of pets can be provided for including reptiles and the website has already registered more than 45,000 families in the past two weeks, according to Marc Okon, the founder and executive director of the program. Because of high traffic, the website remains down at this time. The program will start mail-in applications soon.

The organization is not part of a government subsidy, but if the individual qualifies for government assistance, the program assures they are eligible for the food stamps. According to their webpage, the program is a pending New York State non-profit corporation that "has been created to fill the void in the United States Food Stamp program which excludes the purchase of pet food and pet supplies.

In these rough economic times, many pet owners are forced to abandon their beloved pet to the ASPCA, North Shore Animal League or other animal shelters due to the inability to pay for their basic food supply and care.

The Examiner reported that once family income and housing is verified, they would expect monthly food shipments from the Pet Food Direct for a period of six months. 

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, found that families were giving their pets up for adoption, which is heartbreaking because they couldn't afford to keep them.

"I would tell people who are really down on their luck and considering giving up their companion animal we would urge them to take advantage of programs like these (Food Stamps for Pets) so that families don't have to be broken up this way," said PETA Cruelty Investigations senior vice president Daphna Nachminovich to The Monitor.  "If this program allows people to keep their companion animals then it's a very good thing."