Pet food insecurity is a hidden—and growing—crisis. When pet owners face food insecurity, they can struggle to feed their pets too, which often leads them to sacrifice their own needs to feed their pets or to provide less nutritious food. Inadequate nutrition can lead to health issues for pets, creating further financial and emotional burdens on owners.
Various organizations are working to address this food gap, including PetSmart Charities of Canada, which is partnering with Feed Ontario and the Food Bank of York Region to respond to pet hunger with the delivery of pet food right alongside food for their people. Pet food security is critical for the health and well-being of pets.
According to a 2024 Pet Population Survey, pets are an integral part of over half of Canadian households. For 83% of Canadians, pet hunger is an important issue. Food banks are reporting that pet food is an increasingly requested item.
The Food Bank of York Region is pleased to be the recipient of a grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada to distribute pet food to our network of food banks and pantries. Our food bank has a history of supplying food to animal shelters and is expanding our services to provide pet food for low-income families.
PetSmart Charities of Canada sponsors Canada’s annual Pet Hunger Awareness Day each year on September 25th. The goal of this day is to spread awareness about the crisis of pet food insecurity, and the fact that when families face hunger, their pets do too.
