Tuesday, July 6, 2010

People and their Pets

It's no surprise that people love their pets; dogs are man's best friend, and cats are sleek and smart. Humans desire more than anything to be loved and usually find that affection and dedication in their pets. We can't count how many single, middle-aged women we see walking little dogs around NYC on a daily basis. Some even have 'conversations' with their dogs, as if their pet understood fluent English. People like this should probably find themselves a good shrink on 5th Avenue. We once saw a girl bring a hedgehog to a Christmas party as a gimmick. Honestly? Americans spent over $40 billion on their pets last year; that comes out to nearly $730 per household. For an economy that produced a personal savings rate below 2.5% last decade and currently sports an effective unemployment rate above 15%, we question whether Americans should be spending so much money on their pets. Forget dog food, kitty litter and vaccinations - people are delinquent on their mortgages, tardy on their credit card payments, and over 15% of Americans don't even have health insurance! It's really not a preferable situation...

Welcome Alternative: People these days literally pamper the hell out of their pets. While we exaggerate slightly, some people barely treat strangers with the same dignity that they show their pooches. We love horses, appreciate dogs of most pedigrees (except long hair chihuahuas), and think that whale hunting is atrocious. If Americans were to exercise the same degree of kindness and consideration to the homeless, sick, and uneducated, we'd probably be incrementally better off as a society. About 13% better off per year actually; Americans donated $300 billion to charity in 2009 vs. spending $40 billion on their pets. We handily lead the world in charitable donations, but can't we be less obnoxious with our pets? Are the dog sneakers and Burberry raincoats really necessary? How about the doggie baths, play dates and pet psychiatrists? Will those really enrichen your pet's life? We think not, and implore our readers to strike a better balance between caring for their pets and finding selfless ways to serve their fellow man!

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