There’s a National Pet Food Shortage Going On—Here’s What We Know

We all know that if there’s one thing our pets love to do, it’s eat. But, you might have noticed it’s been a lot harder to find your pet’s food in stores lately. What gives?

Amidst recent shortages of eggs and oranges, dog food is the latest good to be feeling the shortage heat. And, not to mention, the latest good to face rising prices.

Here’s everything you need to know about the shortage.

Why is there a pet food shortage?

If pet food aisles seem sparse, it’s likely due to supply chain issues. A familiar issue lately for stores and consumers (especially over the past few years), supply chain issues have affected almost everything you can think of. In this case, these supply chain issues are significantly impacting smaller stores.

One grocery store manager, Dave Clark, explains the pet food shortage. “The amount available doesn’t cover the market like it needs to,” he says. “Raw materials, according to my suppliers, raw materials are diverted first towards human use.”

Additionally, staffing issues, rising prices and slower deliveries across the board are contributing to the pet food shortage. Unfortunately, these supply chain issues have resulted in pet food prices increasing up to 40% from two years ago, according to Clark.