The Gulf Oil Spill and Pets

Here’s a PERFECT example of how our environment affects people and animals (and vice versa). We all know that the oil spill in the Gulf is a disgrace. No matter how much BP ends up paying in damages it does not replace the wildlife and sea creatures that have (at best) been affected and more likely perished.

Of course there is also the loss of livelihood for so many people in the gulf region. How awful. No, worse than awful. Devastating. This week I read that this human loss extends to the family pet.

The Gulf Oil Spill is affecting the people there so badly that they can no longer afford to pay their food or vet bills and they are relinquishing their pets to the local shelter.

According to Randi Kaye, author of the article… “ We went because we wanted to see how the oil spill in the gulf is affecting the family pet. It’s not just pelicans and turtles and dolphins that are feeling this. While the family pet may not be covered in oil, too many of them are now homeless because their owners, mainly fisherman, can no longer afford to take care of them. They are out of work and behind on bills, so now as many as 80 dogs a month are ending up in shelters, given away by their owners.”

Here’s the worst part…

“The shelter we visited is not a no-kill shelter and almost every cage was taken. The dogs we saw today only have about 2 or 3 weeks, if they’re lucky, to get adopted. If they don’t get a second chance, these pets will likely be euthanized. And they never even had a drop of oil on them….”

Not only does the animal suffer, but the owner who relied on their companion animal suffers a financial loss and now their lack of companionship.

Read the whole heartbreaking article here:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/category/randi-kaye/


Here’s how you can help:

The Louisiana SPCA just set up a fund. (Yes, BP should be paying for this. But in the meantime, while they’re not, we can make donations. See info below).

If you’ve been thinking about helping the relief efforts of course there are other Wildlife organizations like Defenders of Wildlife doing amazing work. Here’s their site: http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/offshore_drilling/gulf_oil_disaster/what_you_can_do.php

If the dog and cat thing tugs at your heart like it tugs at mine, you can donate directly to the Louisiana SPCA:
http://la-spca.org/Page.aspx?pid=509

I was walking in NYC a couple of weeks ago with my husband and realized that I was greeting every dog I passed. That’s pretty normal for me in Los Angeles where I live and have two dogs. When I lived in Manhattan 19 years ago I didn’t remember there being so many dogs. I asked Andy if he noticed more dogs now than there used to be and he said “Sure, dogs have become much more popular recently”.

I still wondered if it was a) me being more aware since I’m now more of a dog lover than I was back then, b) because we were downtown rather than uptown c) because more apartments allow dogs or d) because there really were more dogs.

When I arrived home in LA, my copy of Best Friends Magazine was waiting for me and interestingly enough on page 19 it said “New York City animal lovers have a reason to celebrate: The percentage of dogs and cats euthanized in the city’s shelters hit an all-time low last year-33 percent, down from 69 percent in 2003. During the same period the adoption rate for shelter pets increased to 66 percent, up from 26 percent…”

That was exciting news to read as it means that more people are going to shelters to rescue and adopt animals. At least in NYC…

I investigated LA too and sure enough adoptions were on the rise and euthanization drastically reduced, though the past couple of years were pretty steady. Unfortunately, the past two years have been tough in the animal shelter and adoption world as more and more people are affected by the recession and relinquishing their pets to shelters. How heartbreaking. There’s got to be another way for people to not only be able to stay in their homes and afford even a reduced semblance of lifestyle but also keep their family pet. I don’t have the answer to that one and I’m sure each story is different. (I do remember reading about a couple who had fallen on hard times yet they were unwilling to give up their dog who was a part of their family. They cut down their expenses dramatically and were making it all work. )

Anyway,I poked around a little more and discovered “New Survey Reveals pet ownership at an all time high”. Granted, this “new survey” is a few years old but the information is still apropos. It's “reigning cats and dogs and all other pets in this country according to the latest statistics from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA).

New figures just released from APPMA's 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey (NPOS) show pet ownership is currently at its highest level, with 63 percent of all U.S. households owning a pet which equates to more than 69 million households. That's up from 64 million in 2002 and 51 million in 1988 when APPMA's tracking began.”
"The steady increase in pet ownership confirms that a growing number of us are realizing pets truly enhance our lives," said Bob Vetere, managing director and COO of APPMA. “ Read the whole article here. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_April_27/ai_n13656042/

This is all encouraging news. More animal owners, more shelter adoptions and fewer euthanizations. Kudos again to those of you working hard to help get animals adopted and educate the public about spay and neuter, puppy mills and how wrong it is to buy a pet in a pet store. Kudos to us for being responsible pet owners. Let’s keep this all moving in the right direction.