economy

Pet owners are giving up their pets at an alarming rate.

This is just another sign of how credit card debt is affecting the American household. A family unit is more than just a legal guardian and 1.2 children, but also includes the family pet.

Humane Societies are seeing this on a consistant basis, people coming in, forced to make a decision that they see is is not in their control. Often they feel the stress and anxiety of credit card debt looming over their heads. This is an regrettable result of our current times.

Examples of people making the decision of dealing with their debt, or taking care of a valued member of the family have been showing up all over our country. From pet owners  turning in their dogs in order to pay for medical bills, to people  euthanizing their dogs and cats so they can afford to keep from falling behind on credit card debt and pay household bills. The economic ruin is making it ever more tricky for some pet owners  to justify paying out as much as a thousand dollars annually or more on the medical care and food for their dogs and cats.

The population escalation at animal shelters around the nation shows how the frail economy is also reducing the pool of possible adopters.
The recoil effect has been overpopulation of shelters causing a faster rate of pets being put down, and many shelters turning away families looking to give up dogs.  Of the estimated 6 million to 8 million dogs and cats sent to animal shelters every year, over half are killed what is left is placed.

Having no option but to abandon a family pet can exact deep emotional scars on a family unit, more so on the children who don’t know about economic stress. We cannot expect them to be aware of the difficult decision their parents have to make, giving up their family pet to ensure after they pay their bills and debt they can be fed and clothed.

The only other option for many people other than abandoning their pet is to dig themselves out of debt. Debt settlement companies can help families lower their monthly house hold expenses eliminating their need to make the grim decision to allow their pet to be killed. The more people understand that there are options; the less stress will be put on the local shelters trying to deal with this issue on a daily basis.

Another suggestion is to find a person or family member willing to temporarily adopt your family pet. This would allow you to rest easy knowing they are well taken care of and loved. This would allow you to take time and create a debt reduction plan putting them in a position to once again make their companion a part of the household again.