How to Help Low Income Pet Owners Feed Their Pets

Too many people are finding it difficult to feed their family members, let alone their pets. A lost job makes it hard to keep up with financial demands, and pet owners who love their pet as much as they love their children are heartbroken when they have to give up their pet because they do not have the money needed to cover the cost of pet food. A friend with a heart in tune to the situation can be of some help. If you know someone who needs food for their pet, there are ways you can help.

You can help feed a pet by giving a friend food your dog or cat does not care to eat. Cats are often finicky and hard to please when it comes to eating, so you may find yourself left with cans of cat food your cat will turn away from if you buy a new flavor he does not like. Instead of throwing the cat food away, give the unopened cans to a friend with a cat who may not have had anything to eat all day. A hungry cat is more apt to eat whatever you give it.

You can also help feed a pet by telling someone you know struggling to keep food on the table and in the pet's food dish about ARF. The Animal Relief Fund is an established New York State not-for profit organization put together by Susan Kaufman to help people with pets and little money feed their much loved companions. With a compassion for animals and their owners, ARF, Long Island Cares and Food Bank New York City worked together to bring pet food pantries to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Nassau and Suffolk counties. Their aim is to eliminate pet abandonment - a heart breaking act some families are faced with when they can no longer afford food for their pet. Another way you can help is by making a donation to the Animal Relief Fund.

One more way you can lower someone's pet food expenses is to provide this person with coupons. Coupons can be clipped from newspapers and magazines, and they can be printed from computer websites that offer discounts on pet food. Some manufacturers offer coupons that entitle pet owners to rebates on the full purchase price of cat litter, a reimbursement that can be used to purchase cat food.

References:

Animal Relief Fund: What's Wagging?

http://www.arf-ny.org/wagging.html

Resources:

Animal Relief Fund: Where's ARF?

http://www.arf-ny.org/where.html