[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Keeping your pet in a recession
- From: Dawn Restuccia <windwych@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Stormy435@xxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 2 May 2009 10:56:29 -0700 (PDT)
the one thing everyone needs to remember is that many of the PEOPLE food
pantries have PET food pantries attached to them or have access to pet food!
We have For The Love Of A Pet here on the Cape...all they ask is that you fill
out a form and be willing to help someone else in need by delivering food, or
making phone calls...another "pay it forward system". LHSH donated 15 bags of
Timberwolf Dog food to this organization through our program with the Company.
Many ACO's have bins in the grocery stores that collect food from those
shopping there.
Dawn
Dawn Restuccia, Pres.
Last Hope, Safe Haven
Donations may be made to:
Paypal via windwych@xxxxxxxxx
--- On Sat, 5/2/09, Stormy Hope <Stormy435@xxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Stormy Hope <Stormy435@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Keeping your pet in a recession
To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009, 12:41 PM
http://www.contracostatimes.com/animals/ci_12272921
Keeping your pet in a recession
By Laurie Rich
Columbia News Service
Posted: 05/01/2009 11:51:52 AM PDT
Updated: 05/01/2009 11:51:52 AM PDT
When Deborah Thomas took her sickly 10-year-old cat, Armand, to a New
York City vet last month, she learned the tan-and-white shorthair had
kidney disease and needed to be hospitalized for three days. But the
real shock came when she got a bill for $2,000.
"I've never spent $2,000 on anything in my life," says Thomas, a
part-
time music teacher in the New York public schools.
Now, in addition to chipping away at this amount every month on her
credit card, she's paying $50 a week for medication to maintain the
cat's health. But she doesn't know how much longer she can afford to
give him this kind of care.
With the U.S. economy in shambles, those who used to be able to care
for their pets financially are now drowning in other expenses. They're
stuck with tough decisions that pit their own welfare against that of
their dog or cat, forcing many to abandon their pets.
But animal lovers can find ways to cut costs and minimize the burden
so they don't have to say a permanent farewell to Felix or Fido, say
veterinarians and rescue organizations. They all recommend doing
something that's often embarrassing for those in dire straits â?? asking
for help.
The economic downturn has overwhelmed animal shelters nationwide. Some
84 percent of the 11,000 shelters and rescue groups affiliated with
Petfinder.com say they have received more animals because of the
downturn for reasons including foreclosures,
layoffs and "general financial difficulty."
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
projected in February that from 500,000 to 1 million cats and dogs
were at risk of becoming homeless.
The threat of overcrowding has spurred some shelters to find ways to
help those at risk of abandoning their pets.
King Street Cats, a small, independent cat shelter in Alexandria, Va.,
started a pet food pantry and has helped board some pets until their
owners can take care of them again. Keeping a pet in an owner's home
saves the group money.
Bettie Stephens called King Street in January to give away her two
cats â?? Duckie and A.J., after being forced to vacate her house and
move into an apartment that didn't allow animals. Stephens had been
put on indefinite unpaid leave from her government job and couldn't
afford her mortgage.
When she told shelter workers about her situation, they said they'd
board the cats for free if she thought she could take them back soon.
After relinquishing her pets, Stephens visited every weekend, which is
when the shelter is open.
At the end of March, Stephens started working again. She moved back to
her home recently and picked up the cats the next day.
For those looking to cut costs, there are ways to save on food and
veterinary bills, animal experts say. Pet owners spent an average of
$217 a year to feed their dogs and $188 for their cats, according to a
2007-2008 American Pet Products Association survey.
Just feeding an animal the right amount of food may reduce expenses,
says Jason Merrihew, spokesman for the American Animal Hospital
Association (AAHA). Many owners overfeed their pets, leading to
obesity, which can result in costly medical problems.
For those who prefer to make their pets food, veterinary nutritionist
Andrea Fascetti of the University of California-Davis recommends using
recipes at acvn.org. But before changing a pet's diet, owners should
first talk to a veterinarian.
Many owners, however, find veterinary costs are the most difficult to
swing.
Thomas, for example, continues to mull what she should do. She refuses
to give Armand up and says he's way too healthy otherwise to be put to
sleep. She's thinking of switching vets or getting a second opinion to
see if giving the medicine once a week will suffice.
At Urban Veterinary Care in Chicago, customers are calling more rather
than bringing their pets in for an office visit they'd have to pay
for, says Adrian Garibay, a veterinary technician. Many are requesting
only the basic vaccines and are holding off on getting X-rays and
blood work, waiting to see if their pet recovers on its own.
Susan Nelson, a small-animal veterinarian at Kansas State University,
offers tips for at-home care for some common ailments. For mild cuts:
Trim hair near the wound, then cleanse it with mild soap and put on a
triple-antibiotic skin ointment. For diarrhea: As long as pets do not
have blood in their stool and are acting normally, just put them on a
bland diet
Stormy Hope
www.carpoc.org
AKC Legislative Liaison, GSDCA
Sunshine Squad <showgsd.org/sunshine.html)
GSDs and more
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MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
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