ORLANDO, Fla. – As families struggle with food insecurity and rely on SNAP benefits, many face an additional challenge: feeding their beloved pets.

Christina Getman, who works while attending school, faces this dilemma daily. Her household, which includes three dogs, multiple cats and guinea pigs, previously depended on SNAP benefits to help keep food on the table.

“The children have to be fed, the animals have to be fed. We all in the end need to be fed and they’re part of the family,” Getman said, emphasizing her 14-year-old dog Sydney and other pets are like her children. “We can’t give them up. We’d be like giving up one of my other children.”

Despite her husband working full-time and her own employment while pursuing education, the loss of SNAP benefits has created significant str

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