Pet food shelf offers help for pet owners facing economic hardship
MINNEAPOLIS -- As costs for just about everything remain high, some pet owners are having to make difficult decisions.
Some shelters are filling up because some owners can't afford to pay for care and food.
Places like People & Pets Together in Minneapolis can offer help to eligible pet parents--they run an emergency pet food shelf where people can pick up dog and cat food and other pet care items.
"One of their major concerns, especially when it gets cold like this you need to heat on and some of our clients have to make pretty rough decisions about, 'Do I pay my heat bill or do I feed my dog,' and in this case, we can feed your dog for you," said Kate Sobraske, Outreach Project Manager at Secondhand Hounds.
Managers say they are busy, seeing about a 60% increase in people coming in compared to this time last year.
"Dog food is expensive, regular food is expensive. I'm really grateful for this place because it's the first dog food shelf here in Minnesota, so I'm really grateful for it. It helps a lot honestly," said Kyle Olsen, pet parent.
They also take donations all the time that can be dropped off at the donation bin in their parking lot. Managers say the items most in need are canned cat and dog food, and large dog jackets or sweaters to keep them warm.
Hours are limited on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Saturday mornings.
Minneapolis residents are allowed to visit once a month.
People & Pets Together first opened its pet food shelf in 2016 and is a program of Secondhand Hounds