Katie Couric's Notebook: Pet Food Banks

Well, now comes another new breed of customers: those with four legs.

A growing number of charities are stocking pet food ... right along side the pasta, rice and canned vegetables for humans. The Petco Foundation and other organizations are building a nationwide network of pet food banks and Meals on Wheels now provides food for the pets of people it serves.

The idea is to save lives. Shelters are overrun with hungry cats, dogs, and all sorts of animals because their owners can't afford them anymore. Many end up being put to sleep.

Families suffering through unemployment or foreclosure have enough on their plates without also having to give up Snoopy or Mittens. That little extra help can mean so much until they are back on their feet and their paws.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.