“Giving Back Tuesday” Event Scheduled for December 2 at Franklin Park in Boston
BOSTON, Nov. 25, 2025 – The MSPCA-Angell is working to distribute at least 100,000 pet meals in a single day, the loftiest goal ever set in the organization’s more than 150-year history.
The pet food pantry—called “Giving Back Tuesday”—follows a series of pop-up events in November that sought to help people impacted by the government shutdown and temporary freeze to SNAP benefits.
“So far this month, we’ve held 25 pop-ups, in addition to delivering pet food to 31 human food pantries,” explained Director of the MSPCA-Angell’s Community Outreach program, Alyssa Krieger. “We’ve already distributed more than 200,000 pet meals in November, which is truly incredible.”
“Food insecurity is a real concern in many communities across the state,” she elaborated. “We work year-round to bring pet food into these communities, but with the cut in SNAP benefits earlier this month, the need surged, so we had to work harder than ever.”
“We’re so lucky that our pet loving community really stepped up to help us ensure that no pet goes hungry due to this crisis,” she added.
Meeting An ‘Ongoing Need’
According to Krieger, the number of pet families seeking assistance at MSPCA-Angell food pantries has been increasing since the beginning of the year.
“The economy has been in flux, and grocery prices have increased, which creates great food insecurity for families, including pets,” she said. “We know that when people struggle, their pets do too, and that’s why we’ve really been working on overdrive for months to help.”
“Obviously when the shutdown happened, things got even worse, and it’s right before the holidays, which is often already a lean time for many people, so the timing couldn’t be worse.”
To help pet families get through the holidays, the MSPCA-Angell is hosting the largest pet food pantry ever in its long history.
Giving Back Tuesday: December 2
The MSPCA-Angell’s Giving Back Tuesday food pantry will be held on Tuesday, December 2 from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Franklin Park Playstead on Pierpont Road in Boston (near the Franklin Park Zoo’s Giraffe entrance).
“We think that it will be a really busy day,” said Krieger. “We’ve gotten fantastic support from the community to this point, and we’re extremely grateful.”
“Unfortunately, the need is still there, so we’re hoping that people hear this call and help us give back to make sure pet families will have the happy holidays they deserve!”
Those who would like to donate to help support the Giving Back Tuesday pet food pantry are asked to drop food off at the MSPCA-Angell’s Boston Adoption Center, send food via its wish lists at mspca.org/wishlist, or give at mspca.org/foodsupport.
