Friends and followers on Twitter likely know that, each day, I try to repost notices of animals needing adoption. On so-called “social media,” I follow many shelters, and have been working harder to spread the word about abandoned pets. And if you do the same, you likely have noticed a marked surge in the number of animals needing homes.
Now, the situation is so dire, the UK Guardian is writing about it, and – shock! – actually acknowledging the political-economic drivers behind the tragedy.
Writes Rachel Ellison, in the US:
“Pet food costs have outpaced general inflation by 0.6%, and a single surprise veterinary bill can launch 42% of pet owners into debt, according to a recent Forbes study. As a result, shelters around the US are seeing an increase in owner surrenders and a steep decline in adoptions with no sign of improving.”
For those who sat in on some of my lectures in economics over the years, they might recall us discussing this phenomenon as a distinctly troubling part of the “boom-bust” cycle caused by central banking, fiat (government-controlled) currency, inflation, the mirage of “easy money”, and the resultant misinvestments and malinvestments those political forces inspire. Just like inflation of the money supply and rampant government spending inspire reckless and unrealistic expectations for big profits, which, in turn, inspire increased investments in office space, stocks, raw materials, and labor, so, too, do inflationary tactics inspire people who really should not be getting pets to get them, and breeders to breed them.
The “bust” sees liquidation of assets at rock-bottom prices, usually scooped-up by the liquid (banksters tied to the Fed and political forces).
Related: Feds Report the Obvious: COVID Welfare Checks Contributed To Inflation | MRCTV
But, in this case, pets are liquidated if they can’t be rescued. Ellison reports:
“’We’re packed right now. We’re putting animals in cages in the hallways,’ explains Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications at New York’s Animal Care Centers (ACC), a no-kill shelter that has seen a 25% uptick in surrenders this year over last. ‘It’s really sad, people crying, it’s a part of their family. But if you’re choosing between feeding your family and feeding your pet, your choices are limited.’”
And New York is not even among the top five states for pet culling. According to Spots.com, the states with the largest sheer numbers of animal euthanasia are: California, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana.
Compounding the problem? Lockdowns.
Lockdowns prevented vets from being able to spay or neuter animals, inspiring even more animal breeding.
“’We have a high population at all times,’ Hansen explains. This is partly due to the backlog of animals needing to be spayed and neutered across the country after services were slowed down or completely stopped during pandemic shutdowns.”
There are no excuses for the political abuse rained upon us from the lofty perches of Washington and most state and city governments. The feds and locals never have had – and never WILL have – any constitutional or moral authority to lock-down businesses, demand masks be worn in them, or anything else.
To believe so is to accept the mindset of the sheep, the “ba-a-ing,” frightened member of the herd.
The Bible tells us that Man is given dominion over the animals of Earth. We are NOT the animals. But the suffusion of political authoritarianism, that poisonous conceit that “the elected” or the “selected” can tell others what money they can use, how they can or cannot engage in peaceful market trades and free association? Those allow some people to treat the others as if they are animals.
The result, right now, is a catastrophe for the real animals under our dominion.
“’I’m not sure there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,’ admits Hansen. But she says there are ways, even just through small acts of kindness, to make a contribution. ‘We need support from the community. We need people to volunteer, we need people to share the profiles of our animals. If you have a neighbor who’s struggling with their pet, help them! If you have an elderly neighbor, walk their dog, offer to get pet food.’”
If you can help, please give it strong consideration.
And if you can help people see how these troubles are resultant manifestations of political authoritarianism, please do that, as well.
Related: Media Sell High Consumer Prices As ‘Good Thing,’ Biden Economy Is ‘Great Story’ – Wacky MOLE | MRCTV