Donations needed as demand rises at San Diego Humane Society pet food pantry

The San Diego Humane Society’s pet food pantries serve hundreds of people each day. Staff say demand is growing while donations are slowing.

“We’re in desperate need,” said community resources coordinator Erik Gonzalez. “For the last month or so, we haven't had enough supplies.”

Gonzalez said the pantries have been giving out smaller portions of food in order to serve as many people as possible. They distribute bags of dog and cat food – and other supplies when they’re available – at their campuses in San Diego, El Cajon, Escondido and Oceanside.

Spring Valley resident Jesus Altamirano has been getting pet food at the San Diego pantry for two years. On a recent Tuesday, he left with a toy and food for his dachshund mix, Chloe.

“They help a lot,” Altamirano said.

That help is especially important as local animal shelters remain full. San Diego Humane Society President and CEO Gary Weitzman said their shelters are usually the most crowded in the summer.

“This year has been different, because we've been really at high capacity the entire time – winter, fall, spring, and now in the summer,” he said. “We have about 2,000 animals in care at all of our campuses, the highest number of dogs we've ever had in our 144-year existence.”

Weitzman said fewer people are reclaiming lost dogs that get brought to the Humane Society’s campuses.

“It just makes me really scratch my head. What has changed that they're not coming in to look for their lost family member?” he asked.

Industry website OneVet surveyed more than 1,000 dog owners in June 2023. They found that 1 in 6 had given up a dog in the previous year. Nearly a third of those cited an inability to afford dog food or veterinary care.

Weitzman said the pet food pantry is one way the Humane Society is trying to keep animals with their owners.

“We spend so much of our time bringing pets into new people's homes,” he said. “We want those pets, once they get there, to be able to stay there forever.

The San Diego Humane Society’s pet pantries are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Donations can be brought to the pantries or purchased through their online wish list.