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Dramatic Increase in Pet Product Costs Further Marginalizes Families and their Pets in
Low-Income Communities

Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity is ready to help!

(Baltimore, MD. April 10, 2023) — Go to any store nowadays and you’ll see prices on products the highest they’ve been in years. While inflation is something everyone is dealing with financially, there are some who just cannot bear the costs of those increases. They’re being driven into deeper poverty with the inability to care for all their family members, especially their pets.

The cost of pet products has dramatically increased since 2022, and marginalized families and their furry friends are the first to experience these price changes. According to the latest NielsonIQ Pet Trends report, everything from dog food to cat litter has seen an increase of up to 30 percent across all pet industry product lines. This price hike has drastic consequences for underserved Black and Brown communities and unfortunately can result in families having to surrender their pets.

Companions for Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), a Baltimore-based national 501(c)3 nonprofit, is the only workforce development organization designed to help people and their pets. Whether providing more affordable veterinary care, scholarships to BIPOC aspiring veterinary students, supplying pet food, or advocating for more inclusive practices when it comes to animal adoption, CARE is tirelessly working to help those who are under-resourced.

The effects of inflation on pet products have severe consequences for BIPOC families that include:

• Families being forced to eat less themselves
• Pet parents have to feed their animals human food which is not appropriate for their pet’s dietary needs
• Pets just go hungry

James Evans, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CARE recently told a group of animal welfare nonprofit leaders, “by design, marginalized Brown and Black communities always pay a higher price for inflation. The situation is even more devastating for the pets that are cared for by those who have the least.”

The organization has sounded alarms to all who will listen, but it’s no secret the animal welfare industry is not diverse, with more than 90 percent being Caucasian. Most animal welfare nonprofits who are charged with helping BIPOC communities, may not understand the best practices to work with marginalized communities who often have a mistrust of these organizations. CARE hopes to bridge that gap by educating the nonprofit and for-profit animal industry.

To learn more about the work of CARE, go to: https://careawo.org.

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Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity is a 501©3 nonprofit that addresses organizational and personal biases within animal welfare. The mission is to bring diverse voices to the industry while also advocating for a more inclusive path to pet adoption. CARE believes in using evidence-based tools, narratives, and insights to inspire organizations to be more inclusive and less biased. It is all an effort to save more companion animal lives.