The petition has little chance of succeeding, experts say, given the political and logistical challenges of changing food stamps, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But it has attracted the attention of nearly 80,000 signers on the popular petition site Care2, as well as a number of animal welfare organizations.
These groups say that allowing food stamps to be used for pet food could potentially keep tens of thousands of animals out of shelters and prevent low-income people from cutting their pets’ meals.
"It’s potentially game-changing," said Matt Bershadker, the president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "I think we should get behind this in a big way."
Advocates say a food-stamp program that includes pet food would address a little-discussed gap in the social safety net: Currently, there is no federal program that helps low-income people care for their pets.
The article goes on to say that 14% of pet-owning households are at the poverty line which makes it difficult for them to cover things like food and also veterinary bills. I’m actually surprised no one is demanding pets be allowed to purchase subsidized Obamacare plans. It really makes just as much sense. I mean, Sweet Christmas! How have we allowed this massive gap in the social safety net to go on for this long? It’s almost as if we designed the entire system just for people.