Affluence: pampered pets

From a Newsweek article:

As the demographics of America have changed, so too has the nature of pet ownership. It used to be that most pets were bought by families. Now, the majority of pet owners, 61 percent, are childless—singles, unmarried couples waiting to have kids, gay couples, empty-nesters. Invariably, these owners tend to treat their pets like surrogate babies, and they spoil them accordingly. To help these childless pet-parents spend their disposable income, the pet products industry has mushroomed in the past decade. This year we’ll shell out more than $40 billion to keep our furry friends fed, adorned, amused and healthy—the latter a huge growth category, with more and more owners paying top dollar for elaborate medical treatments to forestall that inevitable last visit to the vet. (emphasis added)

Now, what was that Paul said to do? Help the widows... and pets?

Comments

[David M. Smith]

Hi Rusty,

My daughters met me at the front door as I cam home from work on Monday to tell me they saw the cutest puppy in a new pet store in the Cerritos Mall that only cost $1000.

My sister is paying a trainer $100 an hour to train a German Sheppard puppy.

I guess the value of money is relative, but this is still sad with all of the problems and real human suffering throughout the world.

[Rusty]

David,

It's amazing, isn't it? I sometimes wonder what the factory worker in China thinks when he realizes he is building a dog stroller or a dog car seat for those capitalist Americans.