Too Poor for Pets
Published September 18, 2009 @ 05:08AM PT
Those of us in the trenches with people in poverty continually think of ways to get our nation's leaders and lawmakers to pay attention. We don't want to think they just don't care; they're just, um, busy. How can we get their attention? If only poverty was...cuter? Let me throw out a few provocative poverty bones to chew on:
- Pets. Millions of pet owners in America can't afford to care for their furry friends. Yeah, feeding them and the basic veterinary activities is expensive, but what gets way out of whack is when Fido or Fluffy gets sick. One of my dog-friends, Elijah, is having some serious budget-busting health issues. At the moment, his owner can come up with payments, but not for long term. Tough spot to be in. I dunno, maybe we can use pet health care as a campaign, and then segue into human health care.
- Pet Health Insurance-you gotta know the insurance agencies are all over this cash cow. September is National Pet Health Insurance month.
- Numbers tell the story--the number of Change.org Animal Rights members is 3X the PIA members. My solution--give the homeless and poor people pets! Better yet, get more PIA members.
In all seriousness, homelessness, my issue of choice, needs to be seen as a poverty crisis, not just a "bum under the bridge" problem. It's a national concern, not just urban in nature, that affects more kids/families than single adults. And readers with a strong memory can quote me on this a year from now... I'm betting my lunch money that those on the edge of poverty, or those mired in it, will be in worse shape before (if) things get better. Kudos to NYT's Erik Eckholm and Arianna Huffington for their recent efforts to call attention to homeless kids!
Politics and poverty go hand-in-hand. Sadly, those in politics tend to know very little about the hurt of poverty (and less about homelessness). Policymakers are probably happy that few pay much attention to this growing issue. Watch out for the HEAR US Learning Curve Express!!
photos by the author
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Comments (2)
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Author
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Diane Nilan, founder and president of HEAR US Inc., has over 23 years experience working impoverished and homeless families. Since 2005, Nilan’s cross-country journey to non-urban communities has focused on poverty and homelessness, particularly as it affects invisible families and teens. She filmed the award-winning series of documentaries, My Own Four Walls, children and youth sharing how homelessness affects their lives and their education. Her reader-friendly book, “Crossing the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness,” gives unique insights into homelessness. Her latest production, “REACH” empowers incarcerated parents to advocate for their homeless children’s educational rights.
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Repeal the Hyde Amendment!
point well said and taken - love the illiteration. because people do care more for their pets, they too are gouged with the same outrageous bills pushing them to insurance coverage complete with exclusions and amazingly expensive medications.
animals are cute and thankfully, there is heightened awareness to eliminate animal cruelty protect and rescue animals in all their respective arenas - farms, circus, zoo, wilderness, shelters, private homes.
people are less fearful to foster and adopt a stray animal who may have behavior problems then to foster and adopt a child. (even so the majority of people adopting dogs still seek out a "purebred" a dog with a "look". it is the unrecognizable, the mottled colored, misshaped, bigger, older, sick dogs that remain in the shelters.)
it is my opinion that if everyone had an opportunity to have no home, no money, no food and have sick children to care for even for 1 week, shortly after this experience these same people would open their hearts and maybe their pockets if not their homes to those in need.
but back to reality, pets have such support because ironically we personify their behaviors, inviting them into our way of understanding. they can't speak back and even what they say and do we interpret according to our own framework. pets are far more maleable than are people. their needs less complex.
people are complicated. time is something that people need to get out of poverty, there is no quick fix it must be multi-faceted to face off a worsening scenario... . this breaks my heart , we sponsor students abroad - altruistic, we sponsor champion horses - for fame, can we each sponsor a person or a family for a year?
Posted by Jennifer Perugini on 09/20/2009 @ 10:45PM PT
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Jennifer, I like your idea for poverty therapy--everyone seeing what it's like for a week!
The deeper people get into poverty, the longer it takes to get out of it. The longer people are in poverty, the deeper they (many) become immersed in a dysfunctional mode of survival. It's human nature. let's not be surprised!
IMO, if we were serious about being the caring people we say we are, we'd look at ways to prevent people's descent into the abyss. We're gonna need to be REAL patient with people who have struggled to survive poverty by whatever means possible.
So in my way of thinking, let's get on this issue ASAP. OK, I'll quit dreaming....
Posted by HEAR US on 09/21/2009 @ 05:15AM PT
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