It’s not your typical meals on wheels.

This is ANImeals on Wheels, a partnership with Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston that provides pet food for Galveston County seniors enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program.

“It has helped me a lot the food is so expensive and I’m on a fixed income,” one of the Galveston recipients said.

According to Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, service for local seniors is something the county takes seriously.

“We have not only been respectful of our senior citizens now we’re including their pets as well,” Judge Mark Henry said. “We want to go the extra mile and take care of their animals as well as their needs.”

Alice Manis works for the county’s senior services division and helps deliver the food once a month to about 70 pets.

Manis said including dog and cat food in the deliveries is important for these home bound seniors, so they won’t feel compelled to share their hot meals with their pets.

“It’s a total blessing,” Manis said. “They’re on a fixed income, they’ve got rent, groceries, medication and they need the companionship of that little pet; it just helps them that much more.”

Each senior is eligible to receive up to 10 pounds of dog food per dog and four pounds of cat food per cat, limited to a max of three.

“It’s handy, it comes right to you,” another program recipient said, “you don’t have to wait on the bus and sometimes it’s too heavy with all that back and forth.”

Manis said it’s a job that’s rewarding for everyone involved.

“They always tell us that we’re blessing them but it goes both ways,” she said. “There’s nothing I would rather be doing right now, and with the animal food that’s just the cherry on top.”

Manis said these blessings can only continue with the help of donations. For more information on how you can donate pet food to ANImeals on Wheels, call 409-770-6251.