New York families are struggling and their companion animals are too.

As the cost of living continues to rise, thousands of New Yorkers face an impossible choice: feed their pets or feed themselves. Too often, financial hardship forces families to surrender beloved animals to overcrowded shelters, not because they stopped loving them, but because they simply couldn't afford to keep them fed.

Pet food pantries are a proven, cost-effective solution. By providing emergency and ongoing food assistance to low-income pet owners, these programs keep animals where they belong — at home, safe, and loved. They reduce shelter intake, ease the burden on municipal animal control systems, and support the wellbeing of both animals and the people who depend on them.

We, the undersigned, urge the New York State Legislature to allocate dedicated funding for pet food pantry programs statewide.

This investment would:

• Keep animals with the families who love them, preventing unnecessary surrenders
• Reduce pressure on already-strained shelters and rescue organizations
• Support low-income New Yorkers, seniors on fixed incomes, and individuals experiencing housing instability who rely on their pets for companionship and emotional support
• Strengthen communities across the state — urban, suburban, and rural — where the need is real and resources are scarce

The human-animal bond is not a luxury. For many New Yorkers, a companion animal is a lifeline. No family should be forced to give up a companion animal simply because they cannot afford a bag of food.

Fund pet food pantries. Keep families together.