By now you are no doubt aware that the country is in the midst of a major budget crunch thanks to the continuous rise of the price of a gallon of gas, plus things are getting tough all over and worsening with every passing day. The signs that the economy is on the downturn are everywhere from the increasing cost of food, to the rise in heating/cooling costs, to the skyrocketing foreclosure rate. With all of this going on it just may be that nobody is having it tougher than our pets at the moment.

As the country holds it breath and begins to ponder life at $6 a gallon, demand for free pet food is climbing to over 50% in some parts. In the past the demographic has contained people who were disabled or on disability along with senior citizens,'' said executive director Lisa Carter. "Nowadays, during the pet food program, I see people who are able-bodied and not able to find a job” As the food banks struggle to keep up with the demand for free food, many pet owners are having to make some hard choices as to what they should do with their pets. According to Brian Adams a spokesman for the Mass. Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals “We've seen where people have abandoned dogs in the house, we've seen dogs that have been surviving for weeks on toilet water, we've seen dogs that have either been chained up outside or left in the yard when the people have left, we've seen cats who are just set free. We've seen people do something sort of in the middle of the road — where they don't abandon it, they don't surrender it, but they give it to a neighbor or friend and then that person brings it in maybe a week or two later when they realize, you know, it was something that was sort of dumped on them when they weren't really ready for it yet,''

Making things worse is the added problem of people skipping their vet appointments in hopes of saving a few bucks. Most of this consists of preventative care, but many vet’s fear this could lead to a rise in disease among pets. Do you have tips on saving money when it comes to pets? Drop us a line and let us know your ideas.