By my count, my wife and I have had a combined total of seven dogs since we've been together. The reason for the rather high dog count is that we have had three that have lived to ripe old ages after being adopted late in life. And then there are the two dogs we have now. And one dog we tried to adopt but who could not get along with the other dog and the cat. And then there was a neighbor's dog that slipped the leash, jumped the fence, and wandered over just to hang out. He was a beautiful Irish Setter mix. After that one-day stay, with no one looking for him, I told Animal Control to inform the owner that if the dog showed up again he was mine.
One of our current dogs is a German Shorthaired Pointer named Trigger, who we picked up because one of his original owners developed an allergy to him. The other is a Goldendoodle-Lab-Pointer mix named Charlie. Trigger used to be a hunting dog. I say "used to be" because, at one time, he got very excited when ducks and geese would fly overhead. Now that he is used to the cushy indoor life, he doesn't get excited about much of anything except belly rubs and treats, no matter how much I point and say, "Look, Trig! Ducks!" Charlie, on the other hand, was trained as an emotional support dog. Someone was giving him away because he was incontinent. And since owning a Goldendoodle was apparently a hidden codicil in my marriage vows, we gave him a new home and a daily regimen of pills. He has an uncanny knack for knowing exactly how a person is feeling and what to do about it. Two years ago, I came down with the flu. Seeing me shivering, he defied the standing orders to stay off the bed, jumped up, and covered me with his body to warm me up. We've had our fair share of shelter dogs and even stray cats. My favorite dog was Jojo. She was a Red Heeler who had been eating out of dumpsters before animal control picked her up.
If you are a pet owner, you know exactly what I am talking about when it comes to loving your dog or cat. And if you are anything like Mrs. Brown and myself, you have looked at every dog you have ever owned and decided you can't imagine them living with any other family. And you probably have stories about them and their personalities.
But for many people, parting with a pet has become a reality, as pet ownership is becoming too expensive in the Biden economy. The Associated Press reports that animal shelters nationwide are becoming increasingly full as people find themselves forced to choose between food, housing, or their pets. One shelter in New York State is now housing a dog in its administrative offices because the shelter space is full. The report said that across the nation, the number of animals entering shelters has been on the upswing since 2021. Part of the problem is that people bought and then decided to abandon "pandemic puppies," which is a whole other issue. But by and large, the article points to the ongoing economic crunch as the reason that people are surrendering their pets. Kim Alboum of the Bissell Pet Foundation told the outlet, "The economy right now is really challenging for a lot of families. And with the housing crisis, people are losing their homes and are having to downsize or move in with others. And this is a recipe for disaster for people that have larger dogs." The AP also noted:
In Ohio, the number of animals surrendered to the Cleveland Animal Protective League due to housing or financial challenges jumped by 56% this year to 388. That includes people who can’t afford the care, have a conflict with their landlord, are moving or have no home. The number of stray cats and kittens brought in by good Samaritans also has increased significantly.
Responsible pet owners take their animals to the vet for checkups and to mitigate health problems. The AP reports that not only are vet costs increasing, but vet availability is decreasing. I recently embarked on a fruitless search to find a new vet for our dogs. I'm on a few waiting lists. And just as prices for food for people are astronomical, pet food is not cheap either. And I don't know about you, but I am finding that the less-expensive, non-designer brands of dog food are occasionally scarce.
What this scenario shows is that there are no eggs that this administration and its party will not break to create its new-age omelet. I doubt anyone in the Biden administration and the rest of the Left-wing cabal sat down and decided to sanction pet owners. I think they just don't care. Nothing is sacred, and nothing is secure when it comes to the Left's fiscal and social visions. That includes you, your children, and your pets. No matter how vast, collateral damage is a small price for you to pay for fundamentally changing America.
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