Food scarcity for families, a problem that has increased throughout the pandemic, has also struck home for pet owners in Aurora, a fact that tugs at the heartstrings of officials at a food pantry in the city.
“We know that there are people and all they really have in their life is their pet – their dog or their cat,” said Becky Dunnigan, outreach and program coordinator for the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. “For them to have to part with their pet because they couldn’t afford to feed it, well, it was heartbreaking. These families would either feed their pet their food or have to get rid of their pet, and we didn’t want either of those things to happen, so we started a pet food pantry.”
The current program, which offers a two-hour pet food pickup on the third Wednesday of every month, actually began just before the pandemic at the end of 2019 when the facility first offered a “pet pantry,” Dunnigan said.
“We’d hand out enough pet food for about 30 days per pet, and everyone could get enough for two pets in their household,” she said. “We had to run it as a drive-thru during the pandemic where we gave away food.”
Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry Executive Director Shannon Cameron admits keeping the food pantry stocked with pet food and supplies “has been a bit of a struggle” but credits partnerships with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the Anderson Humane Center, Pet Supplies Plus and others for helping to make the program work.
Aurora Animal Care and Control “has also been donating as well, and sometime we get returns from Walmart and Meijer,” Cameron said. “When we started, we used to offer the food pick-up once every other month but we saw that was not enough and increased this to once a month. There is a need for it.”
Cameron said economic factors have put more stress on needy families with pets given the rate of inflation.
“Given the cost of food and gas people are finding it more difficult to pay for necessities and pets are such an important part of people’s families. They obviously help with mental health, and managing stress levels,” she said. “If a family is food insecure their pets are too, and we want to help any way we can to keep pets in the family home.”
Since the monthly format was launched, Dunnigan said the food pantry has been averaging about 100 families taking part at each session.
“We feel that number is a very good turnout. There are quite a few in need, and some tell us if it wasn’t for us they couldn’t keep their pet,” she said.
Volunteers Wednesday included first-timer Ethan Williams, 26, of Oswego, who said he was earning some community service hours and that for him, “today is my favorite day so far.”
“I just had to get rid of my cat because we couldn’t take care of her and she was sick, so I know what’s it’s like to give up a pet,” he said. “That’s why this is probably the best day in my eyes because you get to help out an animal and I understand what it would mean to have to give up one.”
Wednesday’s turnout was strong with visitors lining up in the lobby waiting for their number to be called to obtain pet supplies.
Anne Scott of Aurora said she has come to the food pantry a couple of times to get food for her two cats and that the pet food donations have helped her keep them with her.
“It helps out a lot with the stuff I need for them and having the things I need to take care of them,” she said. “It’s possible I might have had to give the cats up without this. It helps with all the other stuff you need to get.”
Sandra White of Aurora said she has two dogs and is facing hard times since she “is filing for disability.”
“I haven’t been working for a while and I have a bum leg and I’m going blind,” she said. “We need this. I was reading an article about people not having to bring as many animals to the dog pound because of this. People are keeping more animals for sure. This is a godsend.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
