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More Than Kibble: A Lifeline for Pets at the Food Bank

More Than Kibble: A Lifeline for Pets at the Food Bank

Keeping beloved companions fed across Los Angeles County

Animals bring comfort, joy, and unconditional love into our lives. For the families served by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, that love runs just as deep, even when putting food on the table is not guaranteed. In 2025, the Food Bank helped ensure families did not have to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their pets.

Keeping Families and Pets Together

For many neighbors facing food insecurity, pets are cherished companions and steady sources of comfort. Seniors depend on them for daily connection. Children find reassurance in a loyal dog or gentle cat. In uncertain times, that bond matters more than ever.

When budgets are stretched thin, pet food can become an added strain. No family should have to make the heartbreaking decision between groceries and a bag of kibble. By providing pet food alongside nutritious food for households, the Food Bank helps relieve that pressure, keeping pets where they belong: at home, with the families who love them.

Supporting Beloved Pets in 2025

In 2025, we distributed 4,985 bags of dog and cat food—totaling 79,760 pounds—through our partner agencies across Los Angeles County, providing meals for thousands of pets. Each pound represented one less worry for a neighbor already juggling rent, utilities, and other essentials.

Providing pet food helps stretch limited budgets and brings meaningful peace of mind. Families can focus on meeting critical needs without sacrificing the well-being of their beloved companions. The impact reaches beyond the food itself. It strengthens stability and preserves the bonds that make a house feel like home.

A Lifeline at Eastmont Community Center

A crate on the ground holds a paper bag of groceries and a large bag of dog food, highlighting the impact of Assembly Bill 660. There are more boxes and crates, a blue shopping cart, and people in the background.At Eastmont Community Center (ECC), a longtime Food Bank partner, staff know firsthand how vital pet food support can be for the families they serve. Anabel, a client who visits ECC’s market-style food distribution, is especially grateful to pick up pet food for her beloved dogs. She shared,

“They help me a lot; food, nutrition class, assistance with my taxes. I’m retired, and the benefits they give to us are not enough. And food is expensive, pet food is even more expensive. I live alone, but my dogs are my company. They are my family.”

Thanks to compassionate supporters, families across Los Angeles County can care for every member of their household, two-legged and four-legged alike.

Join us in the fight against hunger

Your support helps power every program of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, from pet food assistance to children’s nutrition, senior support, and emergency food distributions. Get involved today by donating, volunteering, or advocating to help ensure every neighbor in our community has access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.

More Stories from the LA Regional Food Bank

Bringing Food Directly to Communities Through the Mobile Food Pantry

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry Program helps bring fresh, healthy food directly to communities where it is needed most.

The Eastmont Food Distribution is a Lifeline for Older Adults Like Anabel

As someone living on a fixed income, Anabel needs the extra help to get by in an unsteady economy. Fortunately, the Food Bank helps.

La Distribución de Comida en Eastmont es una Fuente de Vida para Adultos Mayores como Anabel

Como alguien que vive con ingresos fijos, Anabel necesita ayuda adicional para sobrevivir en una economía inestable.

What is Food Insecurity?

Food is a basic human need. Yet for innumerable amounts of our neighbors, consistent access to enough nutritious food is not guaranteed.

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