Overview
- MSPCA-Angell reports a sharp spike in requests and says it must add roughly 22,000 pet meals per week at an extra cost of about $6,000, with pop-up pantries running across Massachusetts in November.
- The Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower-court order to fully fund November SNAP payments, leaving timing and amounts unsettled even as some states issued benefits, according to the Associated Press.
- Chicago groups including One Tail at a Time and Live Like Roo launched free pet pantries and wish lists, while Chicago Animal Care and Control said a drive-thru event supported 477 families this week.
- North Texas organizations such as Dallas Pets Alive, the SPCA of Texas, and Don’t Forget to Feed Me opened expanded distributions and emergency funds to keep pets at home and out of crowded shelters.
- Shelters and food coalitions from Tennessee to Louisiana and Missouri report rising pantry use and warn that cash shortfalls linked to SNAP delays can push families toward surrendering pets, even though SNAP cannot be used for pet food.