Need Help With Pet Food?
Animal FoodBank UK provides short-term emergency pet food support to people experiencing financial hardship, crisis or an unexpected change in circumstances.
We support people across England, Scotland and Wales, subject to our support criteria and the food and volunteer support available.
Please read the information below before requesting help.
🔒 All information provided to Animal FoodBank UK is treated confidentially.
Can We Help You?
You may be eligible for emergency pet food support if you are experiencing:
- Financial hardship
- An unexpected change in circumstances
- Homelessness
- Fire, flooding or another emergency
- Domestic abuse, including controlling or coercive behaviour
- Financial difficulty following an unexpected household or veterinary bill
- Another crisis where a professional or support organisation has identified that you require help
Before requesting support, please be aware:
- Pets must have lived with you for at least six months
- We can support up to 3 pets of each type — for example, up to 3 dogs and up to 3 cats
- Our support is intended for short-term emergency situations
- Further support can only be considered once one full calendar month has passed since your previous support
- All support is subject to available stock
How to Request Help
There are three ways to request support from Animal FoodBank UK.
1. Facebook — Our Preferred Route
The quickest way to request help is through our Animal FoodBank UK Facebook Support Group.
Join the group and make a post explaining that you need help with pet food. One of our admins will respond and guide you through the next steps.
You can post anonymously if you would prefer.
2. Apply by Email
If you do not use Facebook, you can request support by emailing:
When you get in touch please explain your current circumstances including information about all of your pets in the household.
3. Professional Referral
If you are already receiving support from a professional or organisation, they can contact Animal FoodBank UK on your behalf.
We accept referrals from organisations and services including Citizens Advice, Police, Social Services, housing and homelessness services, domestic abuse services, support workers and other recognised organisations.
The professional supporting you should contact us at:
We will then guide them through our referral process.mailto:afbs_uk@outlook.com
What Happens Next?
Once you have requested support, one of our admins will review your request against our support criteria.
If we are able to help, we will explain what support is available in your area.
Depending on your location and volunteer availability, your pet food may be:
- Collected from an agreed location
- Delivered by one of our local volunteers where available
- Sent using InPost where we do not have a volunteer nearby
Any collection or delivery arrangements will be agreed with you in advance.
In urgent circumstances, same-day support may sometimes be possible, but this cannot be guaranteed.
Important Information
- We cannot guarantee specific brands or flavours of pet food, as the majority of our food is donated.
- If your pet has a diagnosed medical condition requiring a specific diet, we will always try to accommodate this where possible, but we cannot guarantee suitable stock will be available.
- We are unable to provide support for litters, stray or feral animals, or wildlife.
- Our support is intended for pets already established within the household and is not designed to support additional pets acquired after assistance has begun.
- All support is subject to the food, volunteers and resources available at the time.
Disclosure
By requesting support from Animal FoodBank UK, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
Information provided will be used only to assess and arrange your request for pet food support. Where necessary, relevant details may be shared with an Animal FoodBank UK volunteer or referring professional solely for the purpose of arranging support.
Providing false or misleading information may result in support being refused or withdrawn.
Submitting a request does not guarantee that support will be available, as all assistance is subject to our eligibility criteria, available food, volunteers and resources.