MSPCA-Angell Community Outreach Seeing Huge Demand for Pet Food, Other Supplies Amid Challenging Economy

Teams Working Overtime as Massachusetts Residents Face High Prices for Groceries, Gas, and Other Essentials

BOSTON, Nov. 5, 2026 – The MSPCA-Angell’s Community Outreach team is pulling out all the stops in an attempt to accommodate ever-increasing demand for assistance amid a turbulent economy.

“It’s been an incredibly busy year for our teams,” explained MSPCA-Angell Community Outreach Director, Alyssa Krieger, noting that the group has already distributed roughly two-and-a-half million pet meals in 2026.

“The need for help is growing and has been all year, but meeting that need is challenging given the size of our teams, so we’ve been trying to innovate to help as best we can.”

The increased demand comes as fewer Massachusetts residents are able to get SNAP benefits that would help them feed themselves and their families, including their pets. According to the most recent federal data, the number of residents receiving the benefits dropped 17% between July 2026 and July 2025, meaning nearly 184,000 fewer people.

“Our clients are all feeling the strain of the rising costs of essentials like gas and groceries, including pet food,” Krieger elaborated. “We know that when resources are tight, families will share their own food—or go without—to make sure their pets are fed.”

“When we can provide some help with those costs, it’s a huge relief, and sometimes it’s necessary to keep pets where they belong—at home with the families who love them.”

Working Around the Clock

The MSPCA-Angell has five Community Outreach teams operating out of Boston, Salem, Springfield, Methuen, and Centerville on Cape Cod.

Each month, they distribute roughly 250,000 pet meals using a network of existing food pantries, distribution events, and deliveries.

“It’s a huge undertaking that helps thousands of families ensure everyone is fed,” Krieger detailed. “We currently supply pet food to about 40 human food pantries and have gotten requests for support from others.”

“We wish we could accommodate everyone, but we just don’t have the capacity to do more with the staff that we have, and we don’t have the resources to add more people.”

How to Help

According to Krieger, the best way to help the MSPCA-Angell’s Community Outreach program is to donate.

“It would be amazing if we could get the funding to grow our teams because the more staff we have, the more people we’re able to help,” she said.

Donations to support Community Outreach may be made at mspca.org/giveback.

“Pet food donations are also incredibly helpful,” she added. “People can drop it off at shelters, order it through our wish lists, or host pet food drives at their schools and offices.”

Shelter wish lists, tips for hosting food drives, and more information about Community Outreach may be found at mspca.org/fooddrive.