Posts tagged "economy"

A Rhode Island man who performed surgery on his own dog to remove a cyst on the aging Lab mix's leg is facing animal cruelty charges. So why does Alan MacQuattie blame it all on the economy?

The Vietnam vet told TV station WPRI he didn't have the money to pay a vet for the dog's care, but he didn't want 14-year-old Nakita to suffer. Using what he says was training from the Army, MacQuattie injected the dog with Lanacane to numb her pain and got to work removing a cyst on her hind leg.

When animal control and representatives of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA) received reports of the at-home surgery, they showed up at MacQuattie's Barrington home and found Nakita with a wound on her right leg. The group's chief doctor told WPRI "poverty is no excuse" for what MacQuattie did.

The dog was taken to a local animal hospital where a second surgery was performed, while MacQuattie has pled no contest to charges of unnecessary cruelty to animals and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine. But he maintains what he did was the humane thing -- and animal control has allowed him to have his best friend back.

Estimates from Consumer Reports put the average cost of a vet visit for an older dog or cat at $340, but there are options out there for pet owners suffering in this ailing economy. The Humane Society of the United States maintains a list of organizations that offer everything from pet-food assistance to offsetting medical bills.

Some veterinary schools also run low-cost clinics for pet owners. Check with the American Veterinary Medicine Association for one near you.

There's no denying it, times are tough. Unemployment rates are at record highs, foreclosures are still rampant, and through all of this, pets and their place in people's lives are being tested.

Many, pushed out of their homes or jobless, are having to make the tough decision about whether they can afford to keep their furry companion. To help alleviate some of the burdens, New York's Animal Care & Control has set up the Safety Net Program.

The program offers low cost temporary pet boarding or foster homes for those forced to move without their pets, low cost vet care so no one has to decide to euthanize rather than treating their pet, and free and low cost training to help overwhelmed dog owners deal with problem behaviors.

Hopefully the Safety Net Program will lower the number of animals surrendered to the city shelter (more than 44K a year). No one should have to decide to give up their beloved companion!