Thursday, August 07, 2008

Sadly, pets are becoming a liability

In this economy...likely anyone with two eyes in their head an a wallet to keep filed could see this coming, but it is so sad. I have three cats myself, and it IS a lot of money to pay for food, litter, & vet bills. But when I took them I made a commitment to them as a living, breathing live thing, and I could never give them up for economic reasons. I guess we four are in this together!

More Pet Owners Seek Aid, Give Up Animals Due to Costs
National Geographic, August 6, 2008

In the fallout from rising fuel prices, job losses, and foreclosures in the United States, many people are facing hard choices about what to sacrifice to stay afloat.

For some, this means deciding whether to give up a member of the family.

More pet owners are struggling to pay for food and veterinary care, and some are being forced to abandon their animals when they move or relinquish them to shelters.

More than half of all U.S. households own a pet and, on average, the annual cost of ownership runs between $400 to $800 for food, supplies, and medical care, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

(visit link for full article)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The economy is not separating me from my parakeets and my CHIHUAHUA

-Chuck

Elizabeth Prata said...

Yay! Our animals are part of the family, aren't they

Anonymous said...

sure are. I love when my parakeets chirp when I get home and the dog always gives me a lick.

Chuck

Christie said...

And it isn't going to separate me from Ellie MacPherson, Mabel McMabelson, and Beauty the wonder dog either!