Pet Food Express, a leading retailer and trusted partner in pet health, kicks off its annual Fill the Food Bank campaign to help California pet owners with free, nutritious cat and dog food. By offsetting the cost of pet food, Pet Food Express aims to prevent pet owners from surrendering their pet to a shelter due to financial hardship and supports rescues and shelters from taking on new animals that can no longer be cared for.
Now through July 31, Pet Food Express will collect monetary contributions in its 64 California stores and online at www.petfood.express/fillthefoodbank to directly benefit local pet food banks. 100% of the funds will be used to purchase and distribute 5-pound bags of nutrient-rich, FirstMate cat and dog food. Pet Food Express has set a 100,000 pound goal for 2022 and will match the first 10,000 pounds of food with their own donation.
"Californians have been hit hard with financial hardship due to first COVID and now inflation," said Megan Kniepkamp, Community Outreach Manager at Pet Food Express. "The food from our Fill the Food Bank campaign will absolutely help many California pet families to stay together as they navigate a rough patch, and that's important for both the pet and the people."
Visit the dedicated Fill the Food Bank landing page at www.petfood.express/fillthefoodbank to make a financial contribution; to find a participating food bank; and to share the campaign with friends and family to support even more pet families. Every $10 contribution buys a 5-pound bag of FirstMate food. All 24 food banks to receive food from the campaign are low-threshold or open-admission organizations who are interested solely in the welfare of California's pet population.
"Food banks are an essential part of the pet care system," Kniepkamp continued. "They reduce the risk of a returned pet to an already over-taxed rescue and shelter system by offsetting the cost of necessary pet care. We want struggling pet owners to know that there is free help available to keep their pets nutritiously fed, cared for, and with them at their home."
The 2021 Fill the Food Bank campaign turned $230,000 in financial contributions from customers into more than 124,300 pounds (or 24,860 5-lb bags) of high-quality pet food to benefit 20 food banks throughout the state.
Pet Food Express is proud to support California's animal rescue network through its Community Outreach programs such as its Kitten Season efforts. Learn more at https://www.petfood.express/community-outreach/.
