A $500,000 city allocation will add dog and cat food to selected neighborhood food pantries across all five boroughs, including the NYC pet food pantries. Families should confirm local hours and eligibility before going.

NEW YORK CITY, Oct. 16, 2026. Starting Monday, October 19, New Yorkers will be able to seek free dog and cat food at 22 city-funded food pantries, under a new program announced by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani’s administration and the City Council.

The October 15 announcement describes the effort as the first time the city will provide pet food through its funded pantry network. The goal is to help people keep their animals at home when food costs strain a household budget.

The program begins at selected locations in every borough. Brooklyn and Manhattan each have six participating pantries, the Bronx and Queens each have four, and Staten Island has two. Those counts add up to the 22 sites named by the city.

These NYC pet food pantries are part of a critical initiative to support families in need, ensuring that pets are cared for even during difficult times.

Pet food will not automatically be available at every city-funded pantry. The initial list is a small part of the much larger Community Food Connection network, so checking the participating sites matters before making a trip.

What the city is funding

The administration and City Council allocated $500,000 specifically for pet food. That amount is in addition to $78 million for food distribution in Fiscal Year 2027, according to the announcement.

The Mayor’s Office said it had tripled the ongoing base funding for the Department of Social Services’ Community Food Connection program earlier this year. That broader program supports more than 700 food pantries and community kitchens across the city, according to the Human Resources Administration’s food-assistance page.

The distinction is important: the $78 million supports the wider food-distribution effort, while the additional $500,000 pays for the new pet-food initiative. The city did not say the pet-food money would be divided equally among the 22 sites, and it did not publish a per-household benefit amount.

“Keeping families together means keeping pets at home, too,” Mamdani said in the announcement.

Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton said placing pet food at existing pantries would let families seek supplies for their animals during the same visit they make for groceries. Allie Taylor, director of the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, said the effort aims to prevent financial hardship from separating people from their pets.

Before visiting, check hours and requirements

The city’s announcement gives a program start date, not a single distribution schedule for every location. Its pet-food pantry map and contact directory tells residents to contact the NYC pet food pantries nearest them for hours, eligibility and instructions on receiving help. It also warns that hours can change.

Before traveling, ask whether the pantry will distribute dog or cat food on the day you plan to visit, what registration or documents it requires, and whether there are limits on how much a household can receive. These details were not laid out as uniform citywide rules in the announcement.

The release also did not specify brands, bag sizes, special-diet options or a delivery service. Households needing a particular type of food should ask the participating pantry what it has available rather than assuming every location will carry the same items.

All 22 participating pantry locations

The table below combines the locations in the Mayor’s Office announcement with public phone numbers from HRA’s directory, except River Fund’s number, which was checked on the organization’s own website. The Manhattan pantry at 423 West 46th Street is labeled St. Clements Food Pantry in the HRA list; the announcement spells it St. Clemens. Both documents give the same address.

Location sources: Mayor’s Office launch announcement , HRA pet-food pantry directory and River Fund. The directory includes staff contacts and extensions where applicable. Confirm service details with the pantry before visiting.

Food support as a way to keep pets at home

The city is presenting the program as a preventive service. Its stated purpose is to help families before the cost of care leads them to give up an animal. The announcement did not provide a forecast of how many pets or households the new funding would serve, or a measured estimate of how much it would reduce shelter admissions.

Animal Care Centers of NYC President and CEO Risa Weinstock welcomed the plan, saying a pantry visit can also connect pet owners with community organizations before their needs become a crisis. Other groups cited in the announcement, including Flatbush Cats and Bronx Dog Haven, supported making pet food available through existing neighborhood services.

The administration said it has also worked with the City Council on investments in spay and neuter services. The pet-food announcement did not give a separate dollar amount or appointment process for that work.

Where to look for other help

Residents seeking groceries or hot meals can use HRA’s food-assistance page to reach the Food Help NYC map or call 311 for help locating a nearby program. That larger network serves people, and its locations should not be assumed to participate in the new pet-food launch.

The Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare also maintains a resource page for people with pets. It links to organizations that may help with supplies, lower-cost veterinary care and other needs. Services and eligibility vary, and the office recommends contacting each organization for current information.

For the new pantry program, the immediate next step is straightforward: choose one of the 22 participating locations, contact it about its distribution process, and confirm when pet food will be available starting October 19.

Sources and service information checked October 16, 2026.