how far would you go?
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
June 3, 2008 6:14am CST
Souring economy puts the bite on pet owners
FRANKLIN, Mass. - Diana Bardsley wiped tears from her eyes as she recalled taking food off her plate to feed her beloved spaniel Hunter and two Siamese cats.
Her greatest fear: that she could be forced to surrender the animals as she struggled to stretch her food stamps and Social Security income to meet the escalating cost of living.
Some hope was restored after she visited a local food pantry, which has started offering free pet food to help owners keep their animals out of shelters.
"I know a lot of people will probably say, 'Well, if you don't have enough money to be able to feed your animals, that you shouldn't have pets,'" said Bardsley, 53, of Franklin, as Hunter played in the living room with three of her grandchildren.
But, "Just because financially you may go downhill a little or a lot, doesn't necessarily mean you have give the part of your family that you love," she said.
For some pet owners, though, there is little choice.
The rising costs of fuel, food and housing — and the rising tide of foreclosures — have generated a surge in requests for pet food from traditional food pantries and prompted some pet owners to give up their animals. Others are trying to save money by forgoing veterinary care.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080602/ap_on_re_us/uneasy_economy_pets
WOULD YOU GO WITHOUT TO FEED YOUR PETS?
5 people like this
12 responses
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
3 Jun 08
People who say that have no clue at all about how much our Pets mean to us
I would not give mine up for anything before I do that I would rather share my Food with Gissi, there is a big thing going on here to about the rises in Fuel and that as People are not coping with the big rises specially Pensioners and disabled People
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
4 Jun 08
I know that I would go without before my 3 babies would go hungry.
1 person likes this
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
4 Jun 08
cant people go to fast food restaurants and grocery stores and take the food that stores cant sell to people anymore, the leftovers, before it gets too old to be eaten, and give it to ur pets. it is better than throwing it away or becomes too old and wasted.
1 person likes this
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
4 Jun 08
I'm not sure about other states, but that used to be allowed in Texas, until the government stepped in. I had a friend that raised hogs, and she used to be able to go to the school, and the food that the kids through out each day, still good, fresh food mind you, she would pick up in buckets and feed to the hogs. Then the government stepped in and said if she was going to do this she would have to first boil it to a certain temp. before feeding it to the hogs! Hello? it's pigs, and she was not selling them for consumption by the general public, only by her family. There was another man that used to pick up deer that had been hit (recently) not on the side of the road for days, and do the same, feed it to his hogs........but guess who put an end to that. There is plenty of waste in this country that is needless.
1 person likes this
@mtrekster (179)
• United States
7 Jun 08
id be on a diet and not have sweets in order to give some more food to my cat
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
4 Jun 08
Yes I sure as heck would!! My fur babies will always come first because they didn't ask to be born nor did they ask for me to take them in and because I did, they'll get the best care. They'll get their food before I do always because they give back to me ten fold what I can never pay back. So yes I would go without to feed my fur babies.
1 person likes this
@Gollywog (1092)
•
3 Jun 08
People cannot help what happens when the rising prices hit? We dont all have a lot of savings to fall back on, you never know what will happen in life. Having pets is like having children you can afford them at the time, then something might happen that you have no control over? So why should we get rid of our pets, we wouldnt be asked to get rid of our children would we? I would share my last crust of bread with my dogs, and I would go without to feed my kids?
1 person likes this
@fluffnflowers (1594)
• United States
3 Jun 08
This is such a sad situation, and, sadly, one that's not new to the current economy issues. When I was able to do meals-on-wheels, I also started a pet version that would take pet food to people that also had pets. Older people, especially, would feed the food they got from meals-on-wheels to their pets and slowly get hungrier and hungrier. I can only imagine how much worse it's gotten, now that prices are inflating more and more every week.
I sincerely hope I never have to worry having to go without to feed my pets. I have one service animal who must be fed, but what about the others? That's truly an awful situation.
@lorilei39 (22)
• United States
3 Jun 08
A loving, caring pet owner should not have to sacrifice the animals that make them happy and are literally a member of the family. I think a good suggestion would be contacting local animal shelters to see if they can help or at least refer an agency such as vet's offices etc. to help. A pet food bank sounds just like the ticket to help out some pet owners who are struggling financially.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
4 Jun 08
The article said that some of the food banks did have pet food available.
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
5 Jun 08
most dog food dont cost that much we buy 20 lb. bags for around $8 and it last our chows 2 to 3 weeks some people would go thru that in a week for one dog but they over feed them. And if you have feed your dogs scraps that is whatt hey are used to and there are always table scraps of some kind and I have feed my dogs food off my plate I See nothing wrong with that.I have gone with out to feed my kids I would probablywould for my pets too
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
10 Jun 08
Yes, I definitely would and I'm sure that all owners of pets would do the same...unless it was truly beyond them to do so.
My cat costs the most, I make the food for my dogs with cereals, veges and pet mince. I supplement this with dry food. The goats graze and I can get them foliage from trees or grass from here and there.
For me, my animals are part of who I am. I could not get rid of them as long as I live.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I also cook for my dogs and add dry food. You said "For me, my animals are part of who I am. I could not get rid of them as long as I live." This statement is EXACTLY how I feel abou my animals.
1 person likes this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
3 Jun 08
I have two cats and it does not cost me a lot to feed them but I would go without to make sure they had food. It actually only costs me about 30 to 35 cents a day to feed them and I figure if it gets to the point where that 35 cents is too much then I better not have any animals. It is a shame that people are facing this kind of decisions because sometimes having animals can really improve the quality of life for elderly people who are alone a lot.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
4 Jun 08
I know that my pets really keep are very important to me and do improve the quality of my life.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Jun 08
I absolutely can't stand when I hear "know it alls" that say if you can't afford a pet you should have one. So many people get so much joy out of having a pet, especially senior citizens who live alone, and disabled people...They need the companionship all the more. I have struggles at times since I'm on SSI disability and get food stamps, and yes it is a tight squeeze for me...and quite often I'll get lots of cans of tuna for my kitties on my food stamp money to feed them..particularly toward the end of the month. My two cats ARE my family now,since both my grandmother and mother passed away and I'm alone now. I just couldn't imagine life without a pet...I've had pets since I was five and a half years old
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
26 Jun 08
My pushy little "girl" will almost take the food right off of my plate if she is hungry.. So yes, my dog is going to eat, she depends on me.. People do have a right to have their pets.. It is not the fault of the everyday working person, the retired or disabled person that the economy is in the conditiion that it is in.. It is the fault of the government and when the people running our country can have 1,000 a plate dinners and then consign an elderly person 10.00 a month in food stamps, then the world is in very bad shape.. We who have worked all of our lives are getting run over by big business, such as the oil companies and others.. Money needed in this country is being given away so frivously that it isn't even funny anymore.. Our government can give billions of dollars to other countries, knowing that their goverment is not going to make sure if helps their own people but keep it for themselves.. And they still give it knowing that it could give much needed relief to our own citizens in our own country.. A person should not have to decide who gets the next bite, themselves or the pets, there should be plenty of food to go around without having to face this dilemna in the USA.. But if it came down to having to make the choice, my pet would eat..
