How pet food inflation is hitting owners in their wallets
Inflation isn't just affecting the cost of food for humans. It's hitting pet parents' wallets as well.
A new PetSmart Charities survey found Dallas had the highest rate of pet food affordability concerns out of all the cities surveyed, with almost one in three pet owners reporting having problems buying pet food.
The saying is, "A dog is a man's best friend," but it's getting more expensive to feed our furry friends. The consumer price index shows the cost of pet food has gone up 20% since 2022.
Maria Koegl is the executive director of Don't Forget to Feed Me Pet Food Bank in Fort Worth. The non-profit supplies pet food to 45 different organizations.
"At the end of the month, we usually don't have any inventory left," Koegl said. "This year we actually have about 10 to 15 organizations on our waitlist that have reached out and said we've had a significant increase in clients asking for pet food assistance, and we can't meet that need."
The Fort Worth HOPE Center is one of the partners they work with. Warehouse manager Terri Schenk said the non-profit has given more than 58,000 pounds of pet food to families this year.
"I've been with the Fort Worth HOPE Center for nine years, and this is the biggest need that we've ever seen," Schenk said. "They don't have money to pay bills, and they have to make a choice. If they can't provide the pet food, then they'll feed the dog their food, and then they don't have enough to eat."
Don't Forget to Feed Me Pet Food Bank has been around since 2008. They said this is the most demand they've seen in their 18-year history.
"We're seeing at least 10% of our current partners are asking for an increase in the pet food that they need to be able to serve the clients they have at the capacity that they're requesting," Koegl said.
The pet food bank is also seeing a decrease in donations as people struggle to feed their own pets.
"The less donations we get of pet food, the more we have to buy," Koegl said.
It's a cause the non-profit tries to keep up with to help keep pets in their homes and out of local shelters.
Free drive-thru pet food is available at the Dallas Animal Services pet food pantry on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 8 to 9 a.m.
