When hard times hit, things can be rough for pets. Sometimes people can’t afford to feed them anymore.

So Marco Giannini, chief executive of Dogswell LLC, a pet food company based in Westwood, is trying to take the bite out of the downturn.

The company has given away more than 6,000 bags of dog food each bag about a month’s supply to unemployed or otherwise needy pet owners nationwide since April 15. The program, called Bow-Wow Bailout, will continue until 10,000 bags of dry food about $200,000 worth are distributed, or May 15, whichever comes first.

“We just want to do our part,” said Giannini, 33. “If every company can do a little bit, it can add up to a lot. Keeping dogs in their homes for another month while their owners are having hardships is a great thing to do.”

Giannini said he was reacting to news that dogs were being returned to animal shelters in record numbers because the owners could no longer afford to keep them.

“It’s really a sad situation,” said Giannini, who has a 4-year-old “hound mutt” named Whiskey.

To qualify for the bailout, pet owners must fill out and submit a Bow-Wow Bailout Redemption Form on the company’s Web site. The bags start at 4 pounds and go up to 22 pounds depending on breed or the number of dogs a person is caring for. The company is shipping 500 to 800 a day by UPS from its Ontario warehouse. No proof of unemployment is required.

“We’re on the honor system,” Giannini said. “We’re in an excellent position to do something like this and it feels really good.”

Dogswell had sales of about $19 million last year.

L.A. resident Kelly Mayfield, 50, who worked for a small newspaper until it went out of business in July and now works as a temp, requested food for her 12-year-old mutt, Pinky. It was en route at press time.

“I’m on a very strict budget,” Mayfield said. “And since he’s old he can’t eat just anything. I have to be very careful what I feed him. This is saving me money, pure and simple.”