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Your Support Filled the Food Bowls this Winter

Full Hearts AND ALSO Full Bellies

Late last year, thousands of pet guardians across Contra Costa County found their lives upended due to the government shutdown and pauses in SNAP / CalFresh benefits. Families were suddenly forced to make the heartbreaking decision between feeding themselves and feeding their pets.

That’s when YOU stepped in. Thanks to your support, Joybound’s FoodShare pantry was able to distribute more than 35,000 lbs of free Purina pet food in the final two months of 2025.

35,000+

pounds of pet food & litter distributed

Events Across Contra Costa County

Every month, Joybound hosts a community event where our FoodShare pantry is able to distribute free pet food and our clinic team can administer free pet vaccinations and microchips. The location changes every month, with November’s hosted in Richmond, CA and December’s in Antioch, CA. Thanks to an outpouring of generosity from Joybound’s supporters, we were able to add four additional FoodShare pantry days to our calendar in November and December — including ending the year with a dedicated FoodShare distribution day right here at our Walnut Creek headquarters on Tuesday, December 30.

Partnerships Make this Possible

Joybound is incredibly grateful to our Foodshare sponsor, Purina, who donates thousands of pounds of pet food and litter to Joybound every year. Additionally, we’re proud to work alongside organizations like Contra Costa County Animal Services and Antioch Animal Services, city governments like the City of Concord, City of Pittsburg, and the City of Richmond, and countless other animal nonprofits, crisis centers, and venues to ensure communities receive the support they need most.

Joybound’s Community Solutions

This work continues stronger than ever in the new year because of people like you. From free pet food to affordable veterinary care, and everything in between, YOU keep pets with their loving homes, and out of crowded shelters.

Keeping Pets Out of Shelters

Joybound’s Community Solutions offer assistance in the form of:

By providing these essential services, we help families avoid tough choices and ensure that pets remain healthy and with their families. The need for this support is expected to continue growing, and we are committed to addressing this gap in care.

Note: This article was featured in our monthly eNewsletter. You can receive stories like this, along with other exciting updates about Joybound’s programs for pets and people, by signing up to be added to our email lists.

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