EAST BAY — Layoffs and job furloughs because of coronavirus shelter-in-place orders have thrown the personal finances of many local families into chaos. In an effort to make sure that no pets go hungry, the East Bay SPCA will give free pet food to dog and cat owners from 11 a.m. yo 1 p.m. this Friday, at 410 Hegenberger Road in Oakland.

The organization has held monthly free Pet Food Pantry distributions but suspended the program in March because of health and safety restrictions. The distribution is back, with a new drive-through contactless method for giving out free pet food.

"It's a lot like a fast-food drive-through," said the agency's Raquel Bernaldo. "Clients drive up to a staff member and place an 'order' of how much cat or dog food they need, then another team member fills the order and wheels it on a cart to the driver, who picks up the pre-bagged food right from their car window." Don't miss updates about coronavirus precautions as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.



You may pick up enough food for up to 2 dogs and 2 cats. Everyone must remain in their vehicles at all times. No walk-up clients can be accommodated for health and safety reasons.

At the agency's first drive-through distribution last Saturday, nearly 500 pounds of food were given away, free of charge.

"We are grateful to companies such as Pet Food Express and Hill's Pet Nutrition for generously donating supplies of dry food that we can then distribute to those in our community who need it most," says Bernaldo. "Pet owners who can't regularly afford pet food will often give their own food to their cat or dog, which is a choice we do not want people to have to make. This at least provides a temporary solution."