Pierce County pet food bank to close again after need surpasses ability to feed
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Puget Sound Pet Food Bank will close its Spanaway and Tacoma locations on July 27.
- The food bank serves about 400 families and 1,100 pets each month.
- President DeeDee Howe cited insufficient monetary and in-kind donations to continue.
Nearly a year after The News Tribune reported the Puget Sound Pet Food Bank staved off closing after donors stepped in, its president said it will be closing soon for the foreseeable future after being unable to meet the need.
President DeeDee Howe told The News Tribune on Tuesday she doesn’t know how long the food bank will close its Spanaway and Tacoma locations but wants residents to know she’s not going to give up looking for a more permanent solution.
Its last day open is Monday, July 27. The pet food bank serves about 400 families and 1,100 pets every month through its walk-in and outreach programs. Howe said more than 100 families of those families live in low-income housing or tiny-home villages in Pierce County.
The pet food bank offers food for dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and guinea pigs, in addition to prescription food and pet supplies like beds, bowls, collars, leashes, crates and toys. It most recently operated out of the parking lot of the Spanaway United Methodist Church and a house on 608 S. Washington St. in Tacoma (every other Saturday and Monday afternoons).
“Monetary and in-kind donations simply are not sufficient to feed all the pet families requesting help and cover our operating costs,” Howe wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “And we need a new home that can accommodate clients from both Spanaway and Tacoma, provide adequate on-site storage for food and pet supplies, and allow our veterinary partners to continue to operate their free wellness and spay/neuter clinics.”
An influx of donations last year helped the pet food bank reopen, but it was not enough to make ends meet long term, Howe said. She’s been renting two storage units and storing donations in her garage to make ends meet, but it’s not sustainable.
“I know who my current clients are, so I can for the most part predict what they need. But when you get that many new applications coming in, who knows? I had one day when 10 new people showed up. I wasn’t expecting that,” Howe said. “Everybody’s struggling. All the rescues, all the shelters. Unfortunately we’re kind of all competing and asking everybody to be generous.”
Howe said the need has gotten worse since 2025. She’s seeing people who hadn’t visited the food bank in years returning. Some are skipping meals to ensure they can feed their pets.
“We feel like we’re filling a huge need,” Howe said. “They don’t want to have to make the choice between feeding their pets and feeding themselves.”
Those who know of a property that could be a good fit for the pet food bank should contact Howe at ps.petfoodbank@gmail.com. The pet food bank is also accepting monetary donations online. In the short term, Howe said, she would welcome volunteers to move existing donations elsewhere when their lease ends.
“There’s some place out there, I’m convinced. We’re not just throwing up our hands and giving up,” Howe said. “We plan to reopen. I just, I need to figure it out.”
When asked where people should go to get free pet food, Howe said there are not many options. The Tacoma Humane Society has a pet food bank that is open every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon. There are several pet food and supply satellite locations, including one at the Tillicum Community Center in Lakewood and Comprehensive Life Resources in Tacoma. The Oogie’s Ohana Pet Food Bank at the Seattle Humane Society is open on the first and third Thursday and Saturday of the month in Bellevue.
Follow along the Puget Sound Pet Food Bank’s Facebook page for more updates.
