Pampered Pets, Hungry Kids

Zenit News Agency ^ | December 17, 2005

[U S Army EOD]

I shall ask my dogs their opinion of this article before I comment as soon as they get back from their golf game.

[GovernmentShrinker]

In some cases pets are even better off, as pet medical insurance covers almost everything.

This is BS. Just try getting (or keeping) insurance for an elderly pet. And the treatments which are covered are very limited, compared to all the available treatments.

Darrell and Nina Hallett . . . spent $45,000 on a stem cell transplant for their golden retriever

This is an example of the private sector financing research which contributes to the progress of human medicine. I have a cyber-acquaintance who got a kidney transplant for her cat. The surgeon used an experimental stent that had never been used on humans -- a very tiny one to fit the tiny ducts of a cat. A few months later, based on the experiences of this and other veterinary transplant surgeons, the stent was successfully used on a premature human baby. I imagine that baby's parents aren't too troubled over the "decadence" of people who spend this kind of money on their pets' veterinary care.

[GovernmentShrinker]

So true. Sending money to "help" third world children is like spending money to feed a colony of feral cats but never getting them spayed/neutered -- just expands the problem and expands the suffering. It may make some of the givers feel better about themselves, but on the receiving end it just ensures that there will be a larger number of children suffering unspeakably in those hellholes.

[Aquinasfan]

Spending on pets is skyrocketing. Animal owners in the United Kingdom will spend around 85 million pounds ($150 million) on Christmas gifts for their pets

Another sign of a dying culture.

[steve-b]

Moreover, the text explains, while one can love animals, "one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons."

Animals don't get into bad situations because they tossed away their resources on booze and lottery tickets. Animals don't elect politicians who demand more and more wealth transfers.

Which is really more "due" my affection?

[steve-b]

I don't know what to make of that statement. There's nothing that says that the money that people spend on pets would automatically be directed to hungry children if those people didn't spend it on their pets.

Furthermore, if people didn't spend money on their pets, the children of the pet store owner would... wait for it... GO HUNGRY!

Duh.

[steve-b]

Sounds like a healthy capitalist* culture to me.

*This post sponsored by the Department of Redundancy Department

[wardaddy]

oh no another chick thread

[Aquinasfan]

Sounds like a healthy capitalist* culture to me.

Culture and economy aren't synonymous.

[petitfour]

When you have 2 children per household for 50 years, and those children have 2 children per household, money that once was spent on children and grandchildren can be better spent on . . . dogs. What a world we live in.

[Paved Paradise]

God Bless you! You deserve all the success you get and I hope you get a lot!

[Paved Paradise]

Well said! I hope things improve for you and your family this coming year. You,however, are already rich in the important ways, and one of those ways is having a charitable heart!

God bless and Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!!!!

[wallcrawlr]

I'm glad there arent any hungry kids in your house too.

I'd hope you'd feed 'em. ;)

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

I've got nothing against commerce, but the fact that these stores have a market, points to consumerism gone bad.

Someplace I read that people in rich countries have less kids and more dogs. Something about getting the emotional companionship without the big financial effort.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

A friend of mine, a social worker, said you can tell a society by how it treats its weakest members. If the children reflect their society, I don't want anything to do with it

In all fairness, the West once treated its kids badly too. Kids working in mines, factories, living on streets, etc ..

but I care more about a stray dog than I do about some of the children (& adults) in 3rd World countries.

The kids are just as innocent as the dogs. The adults, however, do indeed deserve blame.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

I used to say that all the time. I already donate through my government, don't need to donate any more.