Pets In Need Announces Temporary Emergency Assistance Program For Pet Owners Financially Hurt by Coronavirus Pandemic

Pets In Need today announced the establishment of a temporary emergency assistance program for local pet owners financially hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

The goal of the program is to keep animals in homes and help offset the costs of pet ownership at a time when many people are losing jobs or not being paid.

“People are under a tremendous amount of stress right now as it is,” said Al Mollica, executive director of Pets In Need. “The last thing we want is for them to have to worry about whether they can afford to take care of their pets.”

Under the program, pet owners in the Bay Area who demonstrate financial need will be eligible to receive up to $1,000 for veterinary care as well funding for basic supplies, such as pet food and cat litter. Applications for the program are being accepted on the Pets In Need website at www.petsinneed.org/assistance.

In addition, Pets In Need is partnering with the Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto to distribute pet food and supplies to EHP clients with pets at home, and is also providing financial support and supplies to partner shelters in the Central Valley.

Pets In Need temporarily closed its shelters to the public in response to the coronavirus and the Governor’s shelter-in-place order that went into effect at 12 a.m. Tuesday.

Within 48 hours of the order being announced, Pets In Need successfully placed more than 140 cats and dogs with foster families throughout the region so they would not have to remain at the shelter and could live in loving homes during the crisis.

“Our foster families have always been critical to our ability to save as many animals as we possibly can,” said Mollica, "but they went above and beyond in answering the call when coronavirus struck.

“I am deeply grateful for their support as well as the support of the Pets In Need board and donors during this challenging time,” Mollica continued.  “I am also incredibly proud of our staff for working as hard as they do each and every day to save the lives of our most vulnerable animals.”

All Pets In Need staff members, including hourly workers, are continuing to be paid and receive their current benefits.

To help the Pets In Need community stay connected, the organization has launched the #ShelteredAtHome campaign on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter platforms @petsinneed1965 and is encouraging its fosters and adopters to share their stories, photos and videos of how they are sheltering in place by emailing shelteredathome@petsinneed.org.

Participants will automatically be entered into a random drawing for one of three $25 gift cards to Pet Food Express. Winners will be announced April 8.