Economy Puts Furry Friends in a Tough Spot
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. And it seems that furry members of the family are the first to go.
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.
"I think we're all going through economic struggles right now with the way the business environment is," said Brigitte Farrell, executive director of the Frederick County Humane Society in Maryland.
Unfortunately for pets, economic struggles means leaving their beloved homes and being put up for adoption, or even worse, being abandoned.
Respond: How do you think pets should be dealt with in times of economic hardships?
edited by Colleen, News Editor
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.
"I think we're all going through economic struggles right now with the way the business environment is," said Brigitte Farrell, executive director of the Frederick County Humane Society in Maryland.
Unfortunately for pets, economic struggles means leaving their beloved homes and being put up for adoption, or even worse, being abandoned.
Respond: How do you think pets should be dealt with in times of economic hardships?
edited by Colleen, News Editor
