A new petfood donation program is feeding the pets of low-income families and food stamp recipients in the US who would otherwise not be able to feed their pets, according to a report.

The petfood donation-based program, Pet Food Stamps, had more than 45,000 pets sign up in two weeks, said founder and executive director, Marc Okon.

Based in New York, USA, the program is open to anyone in the US. Once a family’s need and income is verified, they receive petfood monthly, for a six-month period, from online petfood retailer PetFlow.com. Families can only apply for the program through an online application, but Okon said mail-in applications will be accepted once the program is moved to its new office.

"We're not looking for government funding at this point," said Okon. "Should the government be willing to provide assistance further down the line, we will look into it."

Okon said the program's nonprofit status is pending.