Pets Hunters

Wendell Cox, at Newgeography, has written an interesting examination of what happens when discretionary spending is jeopardized in a tough economy:
In a Financial Crisis What Happens to the Dog Bakeries?.

The article makes some good points. In the 1950's through 1970's people did not have money to spend on "extras" like we have today. There were no Starbucks, specialty bath products shops, candle stores, and certainly no dog bakeries.

So what will happen to these businesses now when most people are tightening those purse strings?

As the owner of a business, Internet Pet Supplies, which some might consider to be one of these "discretionary spending" areas, i.e. rawhide chews and toys for dogs, I'm watching the economy very carefully.

~ Thanks, Alex

Here is a little-known side of the foreclosure crisis: exotic birds abandoned or dropped at shelters because their owners cannot move into an apartment or a relative's home with the sometimes noisy creatures.

Animal rescue groups say they're becoming inundated with calls from people who lost their houses desperately trying to find a new home for their macaw or cockatoo.

Adding to the problems of finding new homes is the life span of the birds, which can run from 20 years for a cockatiel to between 50 and 80 years for the larger birds.

Intelligent, lively birds like parrots, cockatoos and cockatiels can be time-consuming to care for, loud, and destructive to themselves or their surroundings if neglected or mistreated.

Source: Reuters

Photo: Julie Corsi