Community Food Connection<\/a> (CFC) program, which supports more than 700 food pantries citywide. In partnership with the City Council, the Mamdani Administration has allocated $78 million for food distribution in Fiscal Year 2027, and an additional $500,000 to provide pet food at participating pantries.<\/p>\nFor many New Yorkers, pets are family. But as the cost of living rises, feeding a pet can become an untenable financial burden \u2014 forcing some families to make the heartbreaking choice to surrender an animal they love. By making free dog and cat food available where New Yorkers already pick up groceries, the City is helping families care for themselves and their pets under one roof. The administration has also partnered with the City Council to invest in spay and neuter services to strengthen the City\u2019s safety net for animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe affordability crisis affects every member of a family, including the pets we love,\u201d said Mayor Mamdani. \u201cNo New Yorker should have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets. Keeping families together means keeping pets at home, too. That\u2019s why we\u2019re investing $500,000 to provide free pet food at 22 city-funded pantries across all five boroughs, while tripling funding for more than 700 food pantries citywide.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many of us, our pets are family. And when money gets tight, we know people will skip their own meals before letting their animals go hungry,\u201d said DSS Commissioner Erin Dalton. \u201cThanks to new funding from the city, families can now pick up pet food at 22 food pantries in the same trip they make for their own groceries. I\u2019m pleased we can now make it easier to care for every member of the household.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnimal welfare and human well-being are deeply connected. When families struggle to afford basic necessities for their pets, they risk losing an important source of companionship, stability, and connection,\u201d said MOAW Director Allie Taylor. \u201cBy bringing pet food assistance directly into communities, we\u2019re helping prevent financial hardship from separating people from the animals who are part of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where to find free pet food<\/p>\n
Starting Oct. 19, free pet food for dogs and cats will be available at the following food pantries:<\/p>\n
Bronx:<\/p>\n
Part of the Solution: 2759 Webster Ave., 10458New York Common Pantry: 1290 Hoe Ave., 10459Davidson Community Center: 2038 Davidson Ave., 10453The Kingsbridge Heights Community Center: 3067 Kingsbridge Terrace, 10463<\/p>\n
Queens:<\/p>\n
First United Methodist Church of Jamaica: 162-10 Highland Ave., 11432River Fund: 89-11 Lefferts Boulevard, 11418Yeshua Worldwide Ministries Food Pantry: 7911 Caldwell .Ave., 11379Hour Children Community Outreach: 36-49 11th Street, 11106<\/p>\n
Brooklyn:<\/p>\n
Community Help in Park Slope: 200 Fourth Ave., 11217Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty: 5361 Preston Court, 11234On the Go Relief: 2832 Fulton Street, 11207St. John\u2019s Bread and Life Food Pantry: 795 Lexington Ave., 11221The Campaign Against Hunger: 2004 Fulton Street, 11233YMCA Community Market: 2980 West 29th Street, 11224<\/p>\n
Manhattan:<\/p>\n
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen Pantry: 296 Ninth Ave., 10001New York Common Pantry: 8 East 109th Street, 10029St. Clemens Food Pantry: 423 West 46th Street, 10036The Father\u2019s Heart Ministries: 543-545 East 11th Street, 10009The Lower Eastside Girls Club: 402 East 8th Street, 10009Trinity\u2019s Services and Food for the Homeless: 602 East 9th Street, 10009<\/p>\n
Staten Island:<\/p>\n
Project Hospitality: 205 Canal Street, 10304Feeding with TLC: 309 St. Paul\u2019s Ave., 10304<\/p>\n
\u201cFor too many New Yorkers, the rising cost of living is making it harder to afford the essentials for themselves and their pets. By making pet food available at city-funded food pantries, we are taking an important step toward ensuring families can access the resources they need to keep their pets healthy, safe, and at home,\u201d said Chair of the NYC Council Animal Welfare Caucus Harvey Epstein. \u201cAs Chair of the New York City Council Animal Welfare Caucus, I applaud this investment in the well-being of both people and animals, and I look forward to continuing our work to make New York City a place where no family has to give up a pet because they can no longer afford to care for them.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a pet owner, I am thrilled to see our efforts come to life! Soon, families will be able to visit participating City-funded food pantries and receive free food for their pets,\u201d said Council Member Shirley Aldebol. \u201cThese investments will help ease the financial burden on pet owners, keep pets in loving homes, reduce pressure on overcrowded shelters, and expand access to necessities for pets. While there is still more work to be done, this is an important step towards ensuring that no family has to choose between putting food on the table and caring for their furry friends.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cThis initiative is about so much more than providing pet food. It\u2019s about reaching New Yorkers where they are and reminding them that they don\u2019t have to face difficult times alone,\u201d said Risa Weinstock, President and CEO of Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). \u201cWhen pet parents visit a food pantry, they\u2019re not just receiving food for their animals. They\u2019re also gaining a connection to a network of community organizations and resources that can help them navigate challenges before they become crises. At ACC, we know how deeply people love their pets, and we also know how isolating it can feel when you\u2019re struggling to care for them. This initiative sends an important message: help is available, and keeping families together is a responsibility we all share.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStaten Island families have told us that their pets are family and they will skip their own meals to feed them. When I testified before the City Council in support of a pet food pantry pilot, I asked that Staten Island not be left out,\u201d said Heather M. Butts, Former Chair and Current Member of the Staten Island Hunger Task Force. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to Mayor Mamdani, the Mayor\u2019s Office of Animal Welfare and DSS for listening. Under the leadership of our current Chair, Antoinnette Donegan, the entire Staten Island Hunger Task Force will continue to support this effort. Pet food at Project Hospitality and Feeding with TLC means fewer impossible choices, less strain on family budgets and more families staying together with their pets.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBronx residents experience some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the city, and that extends to our beloved companion animals,\u201d said Tanya Copeland,\u202fCo-Founder and President Bronx Community Cats. \u201cPantry support for both people and pets will ensure the recent changes to SNAP benefits won\u2019t have catastrophic consequences on families who long to remain together during these challenging economic times. We commend Mayor Mamdani and the City Council for this progressive, proactive solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAccess to pet food is a simple but meaningful way to help families through difficult times, prevent unnecessary surrenders, and keep pets where they belong: at home,\u201d said Will Zweigart, Executive Director of Flatbush Cats. \u201cWe applaud the Mayor Mamdani and the City Council for recognizing that supporting pets also means supporting the people who care for them.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a foster-based rescue, LIC Feral Feeders understands firsthand how the rising cost of pet food strains the resources of both rescue organizations and the families who care for animals,\u201d said Victoria Koulouris, President and Founder, Long Island City Feral Feeders. \u201cWe see how financial hardship can force people to surrender beloved pets simply because they can no longer afford to feed them. Providing pet food through existing human food pantries is a practical, compassionate way to help keep pets with the families who love them, support community cat caregivers and ease the financial burden on foster-based rescues so we can continue our lifesaving work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many families in the Bronx, pets are more than companions \u2014 they are family, a source of comfort and a part of the home,\u201d said Hydia Cohen, Founder of Bronx Dog Haven. \u201cNo one should have to face the heartbreaking decision of giving up a beloved pet because they can no longer afford to feed them. Providing pet food through existing food pantries is an important step toward preventing unnecessary surrenders, supporting families before they reach a crisis and keeping pets where they belong \u2014 at home, with the people who love them. We\u2019re grateful to see this investment in a future where families can access the resources they need to stay together.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n
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