8 Ways to Get Free Dog Food for Your Pup

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Free dog food is always welcome in our household.

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It doesn’t matter if the free dog food is just product samples, or if I can receive a pack of dog food every month – my furbabies will gobble them up for sure.

If you’re interested in receiving dog food samples or doggie bags regularly, read on and find out which organizations give these away.

8 Ways to Get Free Dog Food Samples

Some methods of receiving free dog food are available year-round, while most of them are seasonal or is available only for low-income families.

1. Pet Food Manufacturers: Free Dog Food by Mail

Do companies give away free dog food by mail?

Yes, most manufacturers give away dog food samples. Here’s how you can get included:

Make a request.

You need to do a bit of stalking here and find the official website of dog food manufacturers such as Purina, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Hill’s Science Diet, Essence, The Honest Kitchen, Bil-Jac, Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet, and others.

Once you’re there, subscribe to their newsletter or join their club, then find their contact form and leave a sample request.

You can also send a message on one of their social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), e-mail the company, or call them.

Here are some companies to begin your hunt:

  • Pet Chef of GA: If you live in metro Atlanta and surrounding areas, fill out this form and get your free sample.
  • Taste of the Wild:  Just call the hotline or visit your local Taste of the Wild retailer to obtain a sample.
  • The Pet Pantry: North Carolina residents only can receive free samples by filling out an online form. If you live outside of our Free Delivery Zone there will be an $8.00 charge for shipping the samples.

Wait for promos and contests.

Bigger packs of dog food are also given away, but not as regularly as dog food samples (which are often smaller in size/weight).

Companies do giveaways usually when introducing a new flavor or brand. Contests can be seasonal (Christmas, International Dog’s Day), and so on.

Increase your chances of winning big packs of dog food by subscribing to newsletters, joining dog food company’s loyalty clubs (there are usually free to join), and following them on social media, where promos are usually announced.

Brands known to provide free samples seasonally include Applaws, Purina, Pedigree, Crave, Orijen, Nutro, Rachael Ray Nutrish, and Pet Chef Express, among others.

2. Local Retailers (Pet Shops)

Sometimes, the dog food manufacturers don’t send free dog food samples by mail.

Instead, they give samples directly to authorized retailers, so customers can request them on-site.

For example, Zignature gives away free 4-ounce samples of various recipes for your pet to try, but you can only get them at authorized Zignature retailers. Click here to find a retailer in your area.

Other pet shops you can check out include:

3. Vet Clinics

Some manufacturers send veterinarians dog food samples that are designed to be given away to patients.

Public vets, run by the government, may have some of these samples stored. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Private vet clinics, especially those that host charity programs and services like free vaccinations or free neutering/spaying, may also have pet-feeding programs.

Dog food companies often send free samples to vets as a marketing strategy. By providing vets with samples, these companies aim to gain professional endorsement and recommendations.

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Veterinarians are trusted by pet owners for nutritional advice, so if a vet recommends a particular brand, it can influence pet owners’ purchasing decisions. Additionally, offering free samples allows vets to assess the quality, taste, and nutritional value of the product, enabling them to make informed recommendations to their clients based on firsthand experience.

This marketing approach leverages the credibility of veterinarians to build trust with pet owners and increase the likelihood of them choosing a specific brand for their pets.

Even if there are no pet food freebies available at the vet, they may offer lower-priced products when you pay for their medical services.

4. Animal Shelters

Check with animal shelters near you.

These pet shelters are exclusively for dogs and cats that were rescued and are waiting to be adopted.

If you’re lucky and the animal shelter near you has a surplus of donated dog food, they’d willingly share them with you at no cost. Just be honest and try to explain your situation to the animal shelter crew.

Research about local shelters near you, visit their website, or call to find out where you should go if they do help out dog parents in need of pet food assistance.

5. Niche groups (Breed-Specific, Pet-Specic, Location-Specific)

The internet has allowed us to find like-minded people everywhere. Take advantage of this by finding breed-specific, pet-specific groups online. “pugs in California,” “dog lovers of Arizona”, and so on.

For dog owners, American Kennel Club is a good example of a pet-specific organization.

If you will do anything for your beloved dogs, I’m sure other pawrents could lend you a helping hand if you requested help.

Introduce yourself and your dogs, include all info about the dog/s in your care, post a picture if you have them, and explain reasons why you need free dog food. Maybe you just got laid off from work and would have to sacrifice some expenses for the month.

Be truthful, respectful, and appreciative if somebody did help you out. If you can, pay it forward in the future.

6. Non-profit or Religious Groups

Religious groups and non-profit organizations have the same goal – to help marginalized people in the community. If your family is currently struggling to make ends meet, you can try asking for help with these groups.

Some examples of non-profit organizations include:

Note that nonprofit organizations may schedule the feeding programs (and not make pet food readily available to anyone).

As such, it is best to contact them first before visiting.

7. Free Dog Food from Doggy Daycare

If you leave your dogs at doggy daycare, dog training camps, dog hotels and other similar places, you could get free dog food samples as part of your service.

Aside from vets, dog food companies also like to send free samples to doggy daycares and hotels as a marketing campaign. This method perfectly allows them to reach their target audience.

Also, these places have a large number of dogs in their care, giving these companies an opportunity to showcase their products to a diverse audience.

Here are examples of these places:

Note that it is unlikely to receive free dog food samples continuously via this method. Unless, of course, your dog stays at the daycare or dog hotel regularly.

8. Free Dog Food from Local Pet Food Pantries

Pet food pantries are designed to help keep pets in their homes when their families are struggling financially.

Some food pantries offer a weekly or monthly distribution. Check some of them here:

Yes, I’d Like Free Dog Food Samples, please.

Taking care of dogs can be just as expensive as taking care of a human baby.

If you have two or more dogs, their kibble, supplements, hydration soups, and other nutritional products do add up pretty quickly.

There are thousands of starving cats and dogs in the country.

I say take advantage of these freebies if you’re strapped for cash, but pay for them once you’ve recuperated financially so strays and other pet owners who are currently struggling will be accommodated for free samples.

Check this post for other non-food, free dog stuff, or if you have a cat, enjoy the free cat food instead.

READ NEXT: How to get a giant box of free samples!

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