CNN Unveils the Sad Puppy Indicator

[herbstin]

CNN Unveils the Sad Puppy Indicator
Reporter Susan Roesgen says pet abandonment a sign of 'an economy in trouble.'

By Nathan Burchfiel
Business & Media Institute
3/5/2008 10:53:10 AM



We've seen the media promote an R.V. indicator, a sweater indicator, a McDonald’s indicator and even a Starbucks indicator – all illustrations purporting to show an economy in peril. But CNN topped them all March 4 with the sad puppy indicator.



“In Dayton, Ohio, it has come to this. Times are so tough for some people that even the family pet is a luxury they can no longer afford,” reporter Susan Roesgen said on CNN “Newsroom.” “A busy animal shelter is just the latest sign of an economy in trouble.”



Rising unemployment in Ohio is leading to increased foreclosures, according to Roesgen. “And often when homeowners are forced to leave they don’t take their pets with them.”



Roesgen didn’t report any figures showing an increase in families getting rid of pets, but said the National Humane Society “warns of pet abandonment growing, not just here, but across the country.”



Family pets certainly hold a special place in owners’ hearts, but Roesgen really turned on the sappiness when, over video of a dejected looking puppy in a shelter cage, she said, “In the end, this could be the face that haunts a voter in Dayton and many others as well.”



Giving up a pet due to a rough financial situation might be a heart-wrenching decision to make, but it is probably a wise one. Even Mark Kumpf, of the Dayton Animal Shelter, told Roesgen that. “He could cover the utilities, couldn’t cover the bills,” Kumpf said of a man who’d returned a pet recently. “And he made the right decision for the pet.”



It’s also the right decision for the family. Pets can be expensive due to the cost of food, normal care and medical emergencies. Freeing up that cash could help those struggling financially.



The National Humane Society doesn’t have statistics, according to founder Carol Childs. The Humane Society of the United States, on the other hand, has seen an increase in pet abandonment of as much as 30 percent in states where foreclosures rates are high, according to spokeswoman Jordan Crump.



But do spikes in pet abandonment really indicate a weak economy, or was this report another example of heart-string-tugging, exaggerated negative reporting about the economy?

CNN Unveils the Sad Puppy Indicator

What do you think?



I think it's typical CNN spewage. Here in Central Texas, I see a lot more stray dogs & cats out in the country before a military deployment.
Too many people regard pets as more of a required household item than a member of the family, so they are more prone to dumping them like a used up appliance.
It doesn't help that a lot of these "rescue" centers charge a very hefty fee to take in an unwanted animal, and another to adopt it. I know keeping animals is not cheap (Lord knows, I have enough of them around the ranch), but after watching the politics at the local shelter, I'm skeptical about their financial operations.
I don't trust the NHS any farther than I can throw my house. They've been riddled by nut-roots like the PETA gang. (If I remember correctly, a past president of NHS said that "an ant has the same rights as my son." I have often considered sending him a large container of fire ants from down here in Texas, so he can put his speech to the test. Mheh)

[Snowden]

There's no excuse for separating a pet from its family. Since the caveman, man has had his dog companion. During the depression, we had slim times, short on supplies and money -- but we had pets.

Of course, where we lived, we had some land, so we grew food and raised chickens for eggs and meat. But even though we didn't get the many veternarian visits in for the pets, as today's owners may feel important -- we fed them scraps; we fed them what we ate ourselves, and we kept them.

I can't understand anybody giving up or deserting a pet because they can't afford them. If they have to move to an apartment that doesn't allow them, that's somewhat different, but it's still heartless and downright mean. Those animals love us; they love us to the point where many would and do give their lives for us.

This is one of the most depressing things about today for me.