Inflation rates are potentially impacting your four-legged friends as food prices rise.
Some animal shelters in the Quad Cities like King Harvest in Davenport report they are not affected directly, as they receive pet food from well-known brands free of charge.
While other shelters say they are facing budgeting challenges due to the rising cost of food.
The Humane Society of Scott County Director of Development Celina Rippel has already noticed an increase in spending allocated in a food budget. The shelter budgeted to spend 25 thousand dollars a year on food.
They’re expecting to spend 7 thousand dollars over that budget totaling nearly 33 thousand dollars spent for food, but have a plan ready to balance out the price increase.
“It means we just have to continue making budgetary adjustments we have to care for the animals and their food and things like that their basic needs come as a priority so we need to make sure those are happening instead of doing things like the extra enrichment or buying extra toys we’re buying their food instead,” said Rippel.
Patti McRae Executive Director of Quad Cities Animal Welfare Center reports “the cost of food has gone up across the board for all types of pets…but now cat food is becoming harder to find in stores and online,” she said.
Some shelters are concerned about receiving an influx of animals being placed up for adoption because of the rising cost of food.
“I think that ultimately that is an issue for a lot of people and if prices continue to rise across the board for having animals, in general, I think we’ll see fewer people starting to own pets,” said Rippel.
Resources like the river bend food bank and the QCAWC have pet food pantries available for those in need.
