Since 2009, people who counted on Sacramento's animal shelter to help them feed their pets could always stop by "Titanic's Pantry" for free food to allow them to keep their pets.

But for the first time in memory, the shelves are bare, and officials are putting out a desperate call for help.

"We are out of food," said Gina Knepp, spokeswoman for the city's Animal Care Services. "We have many, many customers who come to us daily for cat and dog food.

"The premise behind that is we are trying to help people who may be struggling financially to feed their pets so they don't have to give them up."

Knepp said the pantry, named for a gargantuan cat the shelter adopted as a mascot, typically goes through hundreds of pounds a week of cat and dog food donated by individuals and stores, including pet stores that turn over their supplies of torn pet food bags.

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