Program launches to give low income families food stamps to provide for their pets

When a person is struggling to make ends meet, sometimes their furry friends are the first to go.  Now they can get help for their pets without having to give them up to a shelter.

A new program called Pet Food Stamps provides vouchers for pets of low income families, according to KVIA in New Mexico.  Anyone in the U.S. can apply to receive the food stamps by filling out an application online.  Once they're approved, they will receive pet food each month from retailer Pet Food Direct for a six-month period.  The executive director tells KVIA that 45,000 people have signed up in the past two weeks.

Other animal shelters have offered similar programs, like pet food banks, according to ABC News.  There is no federal pet food stamp in place, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture does provide assistance to animals in cases of natural disasters.