The Problems
The news is full of stories of people moving out, moving away, abandoning pets. Family members – lifetime commitments, also known as “pets. How can this be, how can a person not afford to feed or care for a pet? It costs less than a dollar a day, to care for a cat, a few dollars maybe or a dog. It costs people $3 in some places for a cup of coffee, many people have more than one coffee per day, and yet it is the faithful canine who gets dumped? Animal shelters are suddenly overrun with pets, good pets, ones that came from what looked like to be good homes. Most of these animals are being euthanized. Shelters do not have unlimited space or unlimited funds.
People load up on credit card debt. Buying things now with “no payments for 1 year” then may find they are slammed with massive payments that they cannot make simply because they wanted a new sofa a year earlier. They handle it by declaring bankruptcy and walk away from their responsibilities.
I was disgusted to read that people are electing to euthanize perfectly healthy horses, one of the most noble animals, simply because they cannot afford to care for them. A horse is not a “pet” people get on a whim, they require a lot of regular expense and should therefor accompany a person who is savvy in financial planning. Yet, there are places that recently started offering free euthanasia of horses for people who find they cannot afford to keep their animal, cannot afford the cost of euthanasia, and are avoiding exporting them to a slaughter house.
The Solutions
First of all, if you are close to being in financial jeopardy do not even consider getting a pet.
Act now, before you are in a financial bind. Do not spend money on things you cannot afford and do not need. Such things might be a cell phone, cable television, a daily newspaper, or a coffee to go. Remember is the NOW costs that will hurt your later needs.
Do not give money away to nobody. Every day millions of people give money away to nobody. This money is called “Interest”. In short if you buy things on credit, you pay more for them later, and are really throwing some of your money away.
Live within or below your means. Saving money is one of the most important things a person can do. There is no need to compete to keep up with what your neighbor has, especially if what they have isn't paid for either.
If you are not in a financial bind, save money, but also take the time to donate to an animal shelter near you.
Home ownership is extremely important, but do not get in a rush to buy a home if the mortgage payment is higher than what you pay for rent. Keep saving until you can make a bigger down payment, or select more modest housing. A big mortgage payment, that they were not able to meet, is why most people are getting foreclosed on.
Horse owners take note: Your horse does not need to live in a barn, pasture board is much cheaper, and as long as there is a shelter, your horse will be fine outside. If you see you are getting near a financial crunch, don't wait until the last minute, save money now by finding cheaper pasture board for your horse. Some places will lower the cost if you do the work too.
Cat and Dog owners note how little you spend on pet food, sure you buy 1 bag at a time, and it seems like a lot, but how long does it last you? Work out the cost per day, surely there are other things that cost you as much or more that that per day that you could cut. Cut things before you need to.
All in all remember a pet is a lifetime commitment and when the going gets tough – it is up to you how you honor that commitment.
Last Resort
When the going gets bad, and you cannot keep your pet, if it came from a breeder call that person first. Most reputable breeders will stand by their animals for their lifetime and will take the pet back. You can also contact a breed rescue if the breeder is unable to take the pet back.
Animal shelters exist for a reason. Call them before you show up with your pet, they may have a waiting list of people looking for that type of animal. There are shelters for large animals like horses too.
Consider euthanasia only as a last resort, if you know your animal is really unadoptable, as it would be if it was old or has “issues”.
The Wrong Way Out
“Free to Good Home” ads are not acceptable. Most of the pets given away for free do not end up in good homes. Most people do not have the skills or resources to check out a new owner to ensure they are a good home.
Letting your pet “go free” is also not the right thing to do, and in many places is illegal as it is Animal Abandonment. Animals who are released to fend for themselves often die of hunger, thirst, or are killed by people who find these animals to be unwanted pests. As a good point farmers do NOT want your excess pets. They have plenty already, and if their farm dog does not kill the pet you dumped, the farmer himself probably will.
So, what's it gonna be, the Cat, or the Coffee?
