Keeping Families Together - The HSSV Pet Pantry

Everyone knows that pets are beloved members of any family. For unhoused and low-income folks especially, having a dog or cat can be very important because animals provide both comfort and security during stressful times. Sadly, when individuals and families fall on hard times, they often have to make the difficult choice of putting their pets up for adoption because they can no longer afford to feed and care for them. That’s where the Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) steps in to help fill the gap through its Pet Pantry program..

The Pet Pantry is a large storeroom stocked with an ample variety of dog and cat food. It serves hundreds of low or no-income clients per month, providing pet food at no cost to seniors, the unhoused, and individuals or families that are experiencing financial difficulties. The Pet Pantry is a safety net allowing these folks to continue to feed their pets, regardless of financial ability.

The Pet Pantry’s food supplies are donated by pet food suppliers or purchased/paid for by donations and grants. Farrington has been a long-time supporter of HSSV and helped launch the Pet Pantry program via a community grant in 2022. Since then, and with additional grant funding from Farrington and others, the Pantry has increased meal distribution by 30%. The goal is to provide 8,000 pet meals per month. Since inception, the Pantry has provided over 1.2 million pet meals, benefitting an estimated 10,500 families and pet owners.