OXFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - As grocery prices climb, some families are having a harder time putting food on their tables — and this means some pets are missing meals as well. 7’s Dave Puglisi takes a closer look at a need you might not expect.
Susan is living with multiple sclerosis and her service dog, BoSox, is her best friend and her lifeline. But making sure her four-legged helper is fed and taken care of isn’t always easy on her limited income.
Sometimes, she said, she feeds him instead of eating herself.
“I’m having him do a lot of things and some of it is scary for him but he does it for me so the least I can do is give him the best care,” she said.
And to make sure he’s taken care of, Susan relies on a food pantry — and it turns out a lot of people are in the same situation. Across the state, food pantries are adding pet food to their shelves, including the Oxford Ecumenical Food Shelf.
Christina St. Martin says its a common request.
“One of the first things they ask is I have a dog or a cat and I don’t know if there’s anything you can do to help,” she said.
The pet food is supplied by Second Chance Animal Services at the Second Chance Community Engagement Center, which donates to more than 20 organizations in the area.
The demand keeps climbing.
Since 2021, there’s been a 485 percent increase in pet food requests.
Lindsay Doray of Second Chance Animal Services said, “people are trying to figure out feeding themselves and feeding their pets and the sad reality is that for some people no matter what they try to do they can’t do it.”
And now Doray says her group needs more space to provide the services people need.
To donate to Second Chance Animal Services, visit: https://www.secondchanceanimals.org/donate/
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