Mayor Mamdani, New York City Council, the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare and the Department of Social Services Announce City-Funded Pantries to Start Offering Free Pet Food at 22 City Pantries to Keep Pets with the Families Who Love Them – NYC.gov

Mayor Mamdani, New York City Council, the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare and the Department of Social Services Announce City-Funded Pantries to Start Offering Free Pet Food at 22 City Pantries to Keep Pets with the Families Who Love Them  NYC.gov

NEW YORK – Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, New York City Council, the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare (MOAW) and the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) announced that, for the first time, the City will provide free pet food at 22 City-funded food pantries across all five boroughs, beginning Oct. 19. Earlier this year, Mayor Mamdani tripled baselined funding for DSS’s Community Food Connection (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. For many New Yorkers, pets are family.

But as the cost of living rises, feeding a pet can become an untenable financial burden — 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’s safety net for animals. “The affordability crisis affects every member of a family, including the pets we love,” said Mayor Mamdani. “No New