New York City begins offering free pet food at city-funded food pantries

New York City residents who rely on food pantries can now pick up dog and cat food on the same trip as their groceries. Beginning October 19, 22 city-funded pantries across all 5 boroughs started offering free pet food, according to an October 15 announcement from the Office of the Mayor.¹

The program is a joint effort of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Council, the Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare (MOAW) and the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS). According to the release, this is the first time the city will provide free pet food at city-funded food pantries. The administration and city council have allocated $78 million for food distribution in fiscal year 2027, plus an additional $500,000 to provide pet food at participating pantries.¹

"No New Yorker should have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets," Mamdani said in the release.¹

The participating pantries include 6 in Brooklyn, 6 in Manhattan, 4 in the Bronx, 4 in Queens and 2 on Staten Island. The release lists each location by borough but doesn't describe eligibility requirements or a sign-up process.¹

"For many of us, our pets are family. And when money gets tight, we know people will skip their own meals before letting their animals go hungry," DSS Commissioner Erin Dalton said in the release. "Thanks to new funding from the city, families can now pick up pet food at 22 food pantries in the same trip they make for their own groceries."¹

Keeping pets with their families

The release describes the cost of feeding a pet as a burden that can force some families to surrender an animal they love as living costs rise.¹

"Animal welfare and human well-being are deeply connected," MOAW Director Allie Taylor said in the release.¹

Several local animal welfare organizations backed the announcement, including Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). "This initiative is about so much more than providing pet food. It's about reaching New Yorkers where they are and reminding them that they don't have to face difficult times alone," ACC President and CEO Risa Weinstock said in the release.¹

"Staten Island families have told us that their pets are family and they will skip their own meals to feed them," said Heather M. Butts, a former chair and current member of the Staten Island Hunger Task Force, in the release.¹

The release also notes that the administration partnered with the city council to invest in spay and neuter services as part of the city's safety net for animals. The release doesn't specify an amount for those services. Separately, Mamdani tripled baselined funding earlier this year for the DSS Community Food Connection program, which supports more than 700 food pantries citywide.¹

How New York City's approach compares

New York City's program stands out for how it's paid for. The city uses its own funds to provide pet food at city-funded food pantries where residents already pick up groceries.¹ Other programs offer similar help but have relied on donated food or private funding.^2,4-7

Nonprofits have distributed pet food through human food banks for years. PetSmart Charities began partnering with Feeding America in 2017 to distribute pet food through partner food banks.² As of 2023, more than 113 Feeding America food banks offered pet food in addition to human food and household essentials.³ As of September 2025, PetSmart Charities reported that its partnerships with Feeding America, Meals on Wheels America and other organizations had provided more than 400 million pet meals.²

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New York City has seen a version of this before. In 2018, Food Bank for New York City and the ASPCA launched a 3-year, $300,000 program providing free dog and cat food at more than 254 pantries across the 5 boroughs. An anonymous donor paid for that program.⁴

Other local governments have tied pet food assistance to animal services or senior services. In Nevada, Washoe County Regional Animal Services partners with the SPCA of Northern Nevada on a monthly free pet food distribution for residents 60 years or older. The SPCA of Northern Nevada donates most of the food.⁵ In Tennessee, Knox County departments held a 2025 pet food drive to support Feed-A-Pet, a program that provides monthly food assistance to residents 60 years or older with an annual income below 150% of the federal poverty level. To qualify for Feed-A-Pet, participants' pets must be spayed or neutered and up to date on vaccines.⁶ In North Carolina, the Rockingham County Animal Shelter offers emergency pet food assistance by appointment. Families can receive food for up to 5 animals per month, based on the availability of donations.⁷

State lawmakers weigh related pet food bank programs

Lawmakers in New York and New Jersey have proposed statewide pilots. New York Assembly bill A10566, introduced March 13, 2026, would establish a food bank for pets pilot program to provide cat and dog food to owners facing financial challenges. The pilot would run for at least 1 year. The bill would also protect good-faith donors and distributors of pet food from liability. The bill was referred to the Assembly Committee on Agriculture the day it was introduced.⁸

In New Jersey, Senate bill S3027, sponsored by Sens. Benjie E. Wimberly and Angela V. McKnight, would direct the state Department of Health to establish a food bank for pets pilot program and appropriate $1 million for it. The pilot would run for at least 1 year after implementation. No later than 1 year after implementation, the department would report to the governor and legislature with a recommendation on whether to make the program permanent or disband it.⁹

For pet owners outside New York City who need help, Feeding America advises contacting a local food bank about pet food assistance.³

References

1. Mayor Mamdani, New York City Council, the Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare and the Department of Social Services announce city-funded pantries to start offering free pet food at 22 city pantries to keep pets with the families who love them. News release. Office of the Mayor, City of New York. October 15, 2026. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/10/mayor-mamdani--new-york-city-council--the-mayor-s-office-of-anim
2. Pet Hunger Awareness Day encourages support for pets of families facing food insecurity. News release. PetSmart Charities. September 30, 2025. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://petsmartcharities.org/node/1747536
3. Helping "both ends of the leash:" PetSmart Charities & Feeding America's pet food partnership. Feeding America. September 22, 2023. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/helping-both-ends-leash-petsmart-charities-feeding-americas-pet-food-partnership
4. Pet food available at Food Bank for New York City, thanks to anonymous donor. amNY. February 3, 2019. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://www.amny.com/news/aspca-nyc-food-bank-1-26817361
5. Senior pet food distribution. Washoe County Regional Animal Services. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://washoecounty.gov/animal/Services%20and%20Resources/Senior%20Pet%20Food.php
6. Knox County departments join forces for local pet food drive. News release. Knox County, Tennessee. February 12, 2025. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://knoxcounty.org/communications/pdfs/mediarelease/2025/2025.02.12-KCDepartmentsJoinForcesLocalPetFoodDrive.pdf
7. Pet food pantry offers assistance to help keep pets with their families. Rockingham County, North Carolina. March 3, 2025. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://rockinghamcountync.gov/newsview.aspx?nid=6484
8. NY State Assembly. A10566. Establishes a food bank for pets pilot program. Introduced March 13, 2026. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10566
9. NJ Legislature. S3027. Directs DOH to establish food bank for pets pilot program; appropriates $1 million. 2026 session. Accessed November 10, 2026. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S3027/bill-text?f=S3500&n=3027_I1