Fortunately, there is a network of resources available to keep pets and their people together. Here are a few options compiled by Morieka Johnson at Mother Nature Network if you need help.
Pet Food - When Ann King created Save Our Pets food bank in 2008, she had a hard time convincing friends of the need for pet food banks. Four years later, we all know at least one friend or family member who has faced economic challenges, and King has seen her idea spread across the country.
“More and more, we still have people coming who are living in their cars with their pets,” King says. “They’ve been evicted; rather than giving pets up they’re staying in their cars with them.”
Check Save Our Pets to find a pet food bank in your area. Traditional food banks also are beginning to carry pet food. It also helps to call local breed rescue groups for recommendations.
Vaccinations - Routine vaccinations prevent pets from contracting deadly - and very expensive - diseases. Shop around for low-cost vaccination clinics. The Luv My Pets program offers low-cost vaccinations in 20 states. Many county animal control offices also offer deep discounts to residents. Check your local paper for event listings that include low-cost shot clinics. Be honest with your vet about the need to cut costs. Based on your pet’s age and lifestyle, you may be able to avoid some vaccinations or try the three-year rabies vaccine.
Spay/Neuter - Kittens and puppies cost money. Forget trying to sell them for a profit. North Shore Animal League notes that more than 70,000 kittens and puppies are born each day - so the market is flooded. Unaltered pets also face behavioral and health issues. Males are prone to roam in search of a mate, while females run the risk of developing breast cancer or uterine infections.
Check with your local animal control about low-cost spay/neuter services. In a partnership with PetSmart Charities, the ASPCA lists facilities on its website. North Shore also supports a spay/neuter program with 1,000 locations nationwide. Register online at SpayUSA.org for a referral or call 1-800-248-7729.
Established in 2011 by the Humane Society of the United States, Pets For Life offers food, obedience training, vaccination clinics and vouchers for spay/neuter services - with the goal of keeping people and pets together. The program targets underserved communities within Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.
“We are helping people in a time of need,” says Ralph Hawthorne, manager of the Pets For Life program in Atlanta. “It’s easy to say, 'If they can’t afford the dog then they shouldn’t have the dog.' But the pet is part of the family.”
Read full article at http://bit.ly/zPWaJR
Written by Morieka Johnson
Great article. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks BJ for this valuable information.
ReplyDeletewe think pet food banks are a really awesome idea - and so needed right now! And thankfully, many cities are now offering free or low-cost spay/neuter clinics on a periodic basis. Wonderful ways to help save money in tough times! Thanks for posting all this great info!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the criteria for food is sometimes the same as for public assistance, based on household income. If you live a household where only one person has an above poverty income but they are being garnished, as many americans who lost homes are, total wages before garnishment are used to assess need, which is fair unless a 2nd person is living below the poverty level in the household. Food banks in short often help those who are already getting help. I could exhaust myself correcting bloggers who spin everything into cute articles that evade cold hard facts about how public assistance and the courts as well as other help actually works. Most people writing them do not understand need, I lived in 12 countries as a homeless person before bringing a Title VII lawsuit against the NY Times Company, while also doing discovery.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the clarification regarding the criteria for food banks. Having not utilized the system myself, I was not aware of the specifics.
DeleteGreat post about pets, Pet food normally sold in pet food supply stores and pet food supermarkets, it is usually exact to the type of animal, for instance dog food or cat food. A big quantity of meat used for non-human animals is a by-product of the human food manufacturing.
ReplyDeletedog food