Economic Crisis Hits American Pet Owners

The deteriorating state of the economy has hit many Americans quite hard, and that is the case with pet owners as well. A large number of pet owners have had to take some very hard decisions regarding their pets, with the economy being on a down slide.

The decisions they have on hand relate to how to manage their pets as well as themselves in these hard times. Some pet owners are requesting food pantries to also provide pet food so their pets are able to continue with their regular diet.

Some of the other pet owners are looking to save on money by giving up on veterinary care, a hard decision in itself. There are also some owners who are thinking of even more radical measures, like giving up the pets they love so much.

At the back of such heartbreaking decision-making is the state of the economy, with fuel, housing, and food prices constantly on the rise and an increasingly large number of foreclosures.

According to Linda Estrada, president and director of the Animal Welfare League in Chicago, Illinois, the number of people looking for veterinary care for their pets at their discounted veterinary clinic has increased by over two times. There has also been a 50% increase in the number of people looking to get rations from the pet food pantry that the organization runs from 2007.

The story is the same in Santa Cruz, California. The pet food bank that the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is operating there has seen a 20% increase in demand for free pet food in just the last six months. This food bank generally gives out 5,000 pounds of free pet food each month.

Speaking about the issue, Lisa Carter, the executive director of the organization, said, “In the past, the demographics has been people who are disabled or on disability and senior citizens. Nowadays, during the pet food program, I see people who are able-bodied and not able to find a job.”

Another event that is having a huge impact on Americans keeping their pets is the foreclosure situation. With the situation worsening every day, more and more Americans are considering giving their pets up for adoption for want of a home to have them in or after they have had to take shelter in places that do not allow pets.

Said Brian Adams, the spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center, “We’ve seen where people have abandoned dogs in the house, we’ve seen dogs that have been surviving for weeks on toilet water, we’ve seen dogs that have either been chained up outside or left in the yard when the people have left, we’ve seen cats who are just set free.”

Brian said, “We’ve seen people do something sort of in the middle of the road — where they don’t abandon it, they don’t surrender it, but they give it to a neighbor or friend and then that person brings it in maybe a week or two later when they realize, you know, it was something that was sort of dumped on them when they weren’t really ready for it yet.”

Initiatives are currently under way to tackle this problem. Petco Animal Supplies Inc.’s charity group, the Petco Foundation, is setting up a program that would give as much as $5,000 to shelters so they can train, take care of, and also provide new homes to pets that have been left behind by their owners as a result of the foreclosure situation.

While there have been people who have been taking a step backwards to think when it comes to veterinary care, it is also heartening to see that there are still some people who will not do anything of the sort and will provide the best for their pets.

One such person is Doreen Kazijian, who bought medication for her 16-year old cat by not buying her own high blood pressure medication. The 51-year old Kazijian, who lives in Franklin and survives on disability pay and food stamps, having two ruptured spinal discs, says, “It's just something I automatically do because I'd have done the same thing for my son.”