Dog gone

Discussion in 'Economics & Trade' started by Robert Urbanek, Jul 30, 2020.

  1. Robert Urbanek

    Robert Urbanek Active Member

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    As the first COVID-19 lockdowns took place, many people adopted dogs or cats from animal shelters to serve as companions while they were isolated at home. On the other hand, I also noticed reports of animals being abandoned, apparently by people who had been laid off and could no longer afford to keep a pet.

    Which trend will prevail? If you can’t afford to pay rent, can you afford to keep a pet? This issue has not been addressed by the mass media probably because the pet product industry pays for some of the commercials that keep news programs on the air.

    I checked out six or seven local veterinary websites. Only two specifically listed euthanasia services, but only in the context of ending the life of a suffering pet. Will veterinarians eventually offer to “put down” pets due to economic hardship?
     
  2. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    It's interesting. It sort of reminds me of the paradox in the wake of the 2007 Recession where young people could not afford to get married, but at the same time, older married couples could not afford to get divorced.


    In your case, I think the paradox arises because people generally have more time on their hands, but less disposable money.

    (And these two groups are not necessarily the same individuals, although they often are)

    One also wonders what's going to happen to all these pets people got out of boredom when they eventually return to their jobs and find they don't have time or energy for a pet any longer.

    In an ideal case, one might have hoped that the people now wanting pets due to a change in their situation would have adopted the pets from the people now wanting to get rid of their pets due to a change in their situation. But that is usually not how things work. People usually want new pets. Cuter younger puppies. And pet stores often don't want to accept back older pets, for fear that they might be rejects (something wrong with the animal), or could be carrying disease.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  3. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Most animals that get picked up by shelters end up being euthanized if no one adopts them soon enough. The amount of time that passes before euthenasia varies depending on how close the shelter is to its maximum capacity. It could typically be between 9 months to sometimes as short as 2 weeks.

    If you're curious, you might read this post on Reddit:
    I'm one of those a(*)(*)holes who abandoned my cats

    About six months ago. I abandoned my cats.

    I've been moving around a lot in the past five years. Within cities and across states, for both jobs and schools. I got my cats at the humane society about 3 years before abandoning them. About six months ago, I was jobless and leaseless and had the choice of going home to live with my mom (who is emotionally abusive, where I have no bed to sleep on, or trying to make it in a city, where I had career/school connections, where I had friends who could help put me up until I found a job (which I did, a week later). The cats couldn't join me, though. I couldn't afford them, and they couldn't stay where I'd be living.

    I pulled behind a Save-a-lot, checked that the coast was clear, and dumped both of them into a bush.
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  4. roorooroo

    roorooroo Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    So it seems pets and children have something in common.... probably shouldn't have them until one has achieved financial stability and can responsibly take care of them.
     
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  5. Kode

    Kode Well-Known Member

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    I doubt it because shelters' policy against euthanasia is not based on a marketing strategy or other "practical" or rational motive. It goes deeper than that. It's based on compassion and the understanding that an animal is a sentient being sharing most of our human feelings and response patterns. My wife and I have two canines and we consider them family members and they are valued as such.
     
  6. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Yet you wouldn't do the same thing to a child, would you?
     
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  7. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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  8. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Get chickens! They eat garbage and thus cost nothing to keep. Not the best of companions... but prolly better than a turtle.
     
  9. Chrizton

    Chrizton Well-Known Member

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    If they end up in shelters, many will do it anyway if they cannot find a home or a rescue network. My vet actually tries to find homes for pets for clients' animals or their offspring. I have been thinking about seeing if she can get me a couple female beagle puppies but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. If she had an old beagle that needed a home for its last few years I might would do that too as long as it could tolerate my cats.
     
  10. VotreAltesse

    VotreAltesse Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Both of them are first a responsibility, then come the happiness to get them.

    At the exception of some rare cases, I have a lot of difficulties with people who betray their family and pets.
     

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