Fresno County nonprofit meets pet needs amidst SNAP uncertainty

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – As many struggle to make ends meet during the government shutdown, pet care has taken a hit.

The Valley Animal Center has had to decrease its intakes by 25% in 2025 because of high costs, but their requests for surrenders have only increased.

“We’ve seen such a heightened rate of owner surrender requests or people finding financial hardships and looking for other options for their animals,” Ruben Cantu with the Valley Animal Center said.

Rising inflation and insecurity around SNAP benefits have forced many to surrender their pets or avoid adopting new ones.

“We’ve seen our adoptions this year cut in half,” Cantu said. “Especially for our cat adoption center, where last year, around this time, I had done 600 cat adoptions, I don’t even think I’ve hit 300 this year.”

It is getting too expensive for some families to put food on their tables, let alone in their pets’ bowls.

Cantu hopes the pile of pet food and blankets in their lobby inspires hope, though.

The center is a collection site for the Halo Cafe Pet Food Pantry.

The pantry’s vice president, Thalia Arenas, says they take all kinds of donations from food to dog beds.

“We wanted to prevent animals from being turned in at the shelter,” Arenas said. “And so we were thinking… if a pet, for example, did not have food insecurity – like the family was not struggling with food – could that deter them from turning in this pet to the shelter?”

They typically set up once a month to hand out supplies, but since SNAP benefits became uncertain, they decided to set up more frequently.

“We assist over by the Poverello shelter, but then we also serve out the Fresno Animal Center, and, at both locations, we have seen the numbers increase and people having need.”

Their next pantry will be Sunday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. at the Fresno Animal Center.

They require recipients’ pets to be spayed and neutered.

She says no one should have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets, so she hopes the free bags of pet food lighten that burden.

Those who would like to donate to the Halo Cafe Pet Food Pantry can bring items to the Valley Animal Center.