Online petition pushing for pet food to be covered by food stamps

(CBS 58) – A petition to allow pet food to be included in food stamps is taking social media by storm.

Right now, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP only covers food for qualifying low- or no-income people and their families.

Organizers of the petition posted on the site Care2 argue that because SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy pet food, it leaves poor families with pets in a difficult position.

The petition says in part,

“Some argue that people should not keep pets if they cannot afford them, but the fact is that an individual or family's financial status can change at any time. Should someone be forced to give up a pet they've had for years just because they hit a financial rough patch? Or should they be able to utilize federal aid to continue feeding their pet?

Pets are also important for emotional support. Being poor is hard enough without being expected to give up your companion. For most people, pets are considered family, not property.”

So far, more than 89,000 people have signed the online petition to get the USDA to expand benefits to include pet food. The goal is to get 90,000 signatures.