Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps? (Different States)

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps

Dogs love food. And sometimes it pains you when you see them begging for food, but you cannot provide them since we only have food stamps.

 

So, it is essential to know whether you can use your food stamps to purchase dog food as well.

 

You may use your EBT card to purchase food if you get food supplements (or SNAP).

 

Bread, seeds, and plants used to produce food are all examples of food.

 

You cannot use food supplements to purchase hot meals, alcohol, cigarettes, pet food, paper goods, medication, or home supplies.

 

Today, we will check different states in the US whether you can buy dog food with food stamps or not. Let’s dive in.

 

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps in Florida?

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamp in florida

 

In Florida, can you purchase dog food with an EBT card or Food Stamps?

 

SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the United States offers food stamps.

 

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages low-income people and families to promote a healthy lifestyle by giving monthly monetary benefits.

 

You may use benefits to buy everything from bread to seeds and plants for growing food.

 

Eligibility for SNAP assistance is decided by considering several criteria, including:

  • Family size
  • Income level
  • Expenditures

 

According to the USDA’s list of approved food products, dog and pet food are not eligible for SNAP benefits in Florida.

 

It came straight from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website, assuming current and correct.

 

You may buy only the goods mentioned on the Florida USDA EBT page here with SNAP benefits.

 

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps in Texas?

You cannot use SNAP to purchase:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tobacco goods
  • Hot food
  • Any food offered in the shop for consumption.
  • Non-food goods such as:
    • Soap
    • Paper products
    • Medications
    • Vitamins
    • Household supplies
    • Grooming items
    • Pet food
    • Cosmetics

 

So, unfortunately, you can’t buy dog food with food stamps in the state of Texas.

 

However, this restriction is currently ongoing to cover dog food as one of the eligible items for food stamps claiming in Texas.

 

The non-profit Pet Food Stamps program seeks to assist low-income households in providing food for their dogs.

 

The organizers’ only choice is to surrender their family pet to the ASPCA or a high-kill shelter for many impoverished pet owners.

 

“We believe that should not happen, and we offer free pet food to avoid that choice high-kill shelter from occurring,” said Pet Food Stamps creator Marc Okon.

 

 

Learn More:

Why Do Dogs Parade Their Toys

 

 

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps in California?

Even though certain items are offered in grocery shops, you cannot use CalFresh (state of California’s food stamp program) to purchase non-food goods like:

  • Cigarettes
  • Tobacco
  • Pet food
  • Detergents
  • Paper products
  • Home supplies
  • Vitamins
  • Medications

 

Except for alcohol and meals in the shop, you may purchase any food or drink, including prepared hot dishes.

 

So, can CalFresh EBT be used to purchase pet food? No, you cannot use your CalFresh EBT benefits to buy pet food.

 

Millions of Americans and their dogs, like the preceding states, live at or below the poverty line, and they often reside in disadvantaged areas with limited access to inexpensive pet services.

 

It is a primary issue of the Pets for Life program, which aims to make dog food available for purchase with food stamps.

 

The organization’s staff and volunteers, which work in such areas to offer veterinary treatment, pet food, and other assistance to pets and people who care for them, have been continually touched by the strength of the human-animal connection.

 

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps in Ohio?

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamp in ohio

 

You may use your SNAP benefits in Ohio to purchase baby food. Infant formula, cereals, drinks, and baby food in boxes and jars are among the items available.

 

But can you use food stamps to purchase dog food? Households cannot use their food stamps to buy non-food goods, including pet food.

 

Because of this yet another restriction, over 100,000 individuals have signed an online petition requesting that the USDA modify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations to allow beneficiaries to buy pet food, as stated in a report of Fortune.

 

45.6 million Americans used food stamps in October 2017, a 5.1 percent rise from the previous month.

 

However, you cannot use SNAP payments to buy pet food, alcohol, or other non-food items.

 

The petition was created by someone who claims to be on food stamps for “a few months” yet cannot feed their pet.

 

It shows that Ohio, one of the most populated states in the US, has an excellent outcry for requesting pet foods as an eligible item to purchase using food stamps under the SNAP program.

 

Can You Purchase Dog Food with Food Stamps in Louisiana?

You may use your SNAP benefits in Louisiana to purchase:

  • Baby food
  • Infant formula
  • Cereals
  • Drinks
  • Baby food in boxes and jars

 

Can you use food stamps to purchase dog food? Like Ohio, households cannot use their food stamps to buy non-food goods, including pet food.

 

This restriction can change due to natural disasters.

 

It is mentioned in a report in Kalb 5 in which Louisiana participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can use their benefits to purchase “hot” or prepared foods from authorized SNAP retailers during September, following waiver approval from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

 

You cannot usually use SNAP payments to buy “hot food items prepared for immediate consumption.”

 

Waiving that limitation is critical in the early aftermath of a disaster like Hurricane Laura, when many people are relocated and unable to cook their meals in a kitchen.

 

It is a start in the right way, and perhaps, in the future years, pet food will be part of the list of products purchased with food stamps.

 

Key Takeaway

So, it’s evident that you can’t buy dog food using food stamps in Florida, Texas, California, Ohio, and Louisiana to date.

 

However, there are some initiatives by the communities in some of these states to reach out to the authorities regarding this matter.

 

Who knows, maybe you might be able to buy dog food with your food stamps one day? That will surely delight many owners and dogs alike.

 

See Also

Russel

A pet owner who loves to share useful facts and information about a variety of animals.