Municipal pantry provides pet food for families who can't afford it

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Chock full of about 150 cats, dogs, guinea pigs and other pets, Anchorage Animal Care and Control is a bustling place. And while it takes a lot to keep those animals healthy, that doesn’t stop some shelter staff from giving food away.

For pet owners facing financial hardships, the shelter’s pet food bank provides the necessary assistance to keep pets housed and happy. With prices on the rise across the country, keeping shelters below capacity is becoming more and more difficult. According to one national database for shelter statistics, shelter populations across the nation grew by almost 250,000 animals in 2023.

Sam Zilaitis, the public relations assistant at AACC, says the municipal pet food bank provides donated dog and cat food free of charge to the public.

“The whole goal behind that is to really keep animals out of the shelter,” Zilaitis said. “So if someone is having a harder time making it to the next paycheck, we kind of offer that buffer so that they can get some food without having to give up their animal.”

Zilaitis maintains it helps the shelter keep its capacity down while helping owners hold on to their animals, a best-case scenario in her mind. Although it’s a great resource, not many people know about the animal pantry, given most of their outreach comes from word-of-mouth.

“Sometimes people are a little nervous about coming in, but we’re so supportive,” Zilaitis said. “We would so much rather have you come take this food from us and get it and get your pets the food that they need.”

Shalina Ostler-Liston and her family have been coming to the shelter for pet food over the past three years, which she says has made a big difference.

“There’s a lot of people who come here to help their animals at home,” Ostler-Liston said. “I think it’s a great community resource and it helps people for the next day.”

Knowing firsthand what one less expense can do for those struggling to get by, Ostler-Liston says she also drops off pet food.

AACC welcomes donations of any type of pet food during business hours. Once they receive the pet food, shelter volunteers divvy up the food and establish small bags that the public can grab and take home for their pets.

You can also support the shelter by donating to their Amazon Wish List.