Community comes through for Palm Springs Animal Shelter’s “Cans ‘N Kibble” pet food drive
Timothy Foster
UPDATE: News Channel 3 and the Palm Springs Animal Shelter extend a thank you to all who turned out to support our first ever Cans ‘N Kibble event.
The community came through to show their care for the animals – donating over 8,000 pounds of kibble, 4,100 cans of pet food, and more than $16,000 in support.
Palm Springs Animal Shelter Executive Director Dan Rossi was grateful for the turnout, saying, “So to double, almost triple, what we thought we might get is just mind blowing and amazing for us. It’s amazing to see people, when the need is there, to step up and help.”
While the event ended at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, the shelter says there’s always a need for volunteers, and pet food and money donations are always accepted at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Animal Shelter is calling on the community to help keep pets with their families during hard times through its upcoming Cans ‘N Kibble Pet Food Drive — a one-day event designed to collect essential pet food for families facing financial hardship.
Join News Channel 3 live at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. The drive will take place on Friday, September 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with donation sites set up at multiple locations across the Coachella Valley. In partnership with News Channel 3, the shelter is aiming to collect both wet and dry dog and cat food.
The focus is on essentials only — no treats or specialty diets — to ensure every donation goes directly to families who need it most.
Jack Hagerman, Associate Executive Director of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, explained that the primary goal of the food drive is to help people avoid surrendering their pets during times of crisis. He emphasized that the shelter is committed not only to finding homes for animals but also to helping families keep the pets they already have.
According to Hagerman, keeping people with their pets is central to the shelter’s mission, and one of the most impactful ways they achieve that is through their pet food bank.
The Rick Erwin Pet Food Bank, launched in 2015, currently distributes more than 20,000 pounds of pet food each year. However, Hagerman noted that demand for this service has surged recently, growing by 33 percent in just the past three months.
As the shelter struggles to keep up with that increased need, this food drive represents a critical opportunity to restock supplies and support more families.
For those interested in donating, pet food can be dropped off on September 26 at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter on East Mesquite Avenue, the Desert Community Animal Center on Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs, the Sun Community Federal Credit Union on Avenue 42 in Indio, or the Rancho Mirage Library on Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. Volunteers will be on-site at each location to accept donations throughout the day.
Hagerman explained that the food collected will be distributed quickly. The shelter operates on a weekly distribution schedule, so donations received during the drive will be out the door and into the hands of pet owners in need almost immediately.
He added that if someone cannot make it to one of the locations on the day of the event, they are welcome to drop off donations at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter or the Desert Community Animal Center at any time.
For those unable to donate physical pet food, financial contributions are also encouraged. Monetary donations help the shelter purchase exactly what is needed and can be made online. The donation portal can be found at psanimalshelter.org/petfood.
Hagerman stressed that pets are family, and no one should have to experience the heartbreak of giving up their companion because they can’t afford to feed them. He said that just like food banks that serve people, a pet food bank plays a vital role in stabilizing families during difficult times.
Through this community effort, the Palm Springs Animal Shelter hopes to make a real impact by keeping pets in their homes and out of the shelter system. Every donation, no matter how small, helps make that possible.