Raleigh, N.C. — Culinary television star Rachael Ray donated six tons of dog food to the Wake County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The bags from Rachael Ray Nutrish's premium line will fill shelves in the SPCA's Pet Food Pantry. The group opened the pantry in August to help owners keep their pets through the economic downturn.

"We are seeing people come to us who have lost their jobs and their homes, and they simply cannot afford the cost of keeping their pet," said Mondy Lamb, SPCA spokeswoman. "It's heartbreaking for the family and for the pet."

Pet owners can receive up to a month's worth of free food at a time from the pantry. The pantry opens the third Saturday of each month at 200 Petfinders Lane in Raleigh.

In the past two months, more people have turned their pets over to the SPCA because they can't afford to care for them, Lamb said.