Why should those of our society that are financially burdened be forced to surrender their pets? I personally think that every household receiving “Food Stamps,” as the modern description, should receive $25.00 per month for Pet Nutritional Benefits, a.k.a. “Pet Stamps.”

“I’ll go without groceries myself before I let my dogs go hungry,” claimed one participant of a study by Arnold Arluke, which looked at 40 low-income pet owners accessing food pantries. 

Now, let’s hear from someone who waited to relinquish their pet, Curtis Berry waited in line at Chicago Animal Care and Control for more than two hours. He was giving up his dog, Seven. 

I feel that in my heart. He waited to hand his beloved Seven over to another pair of human hands. 

However, our world is not full of Berrys—often people turn their animals loose or leave their pet in an area where it’s unlikely to be found. These are people that generally didn’t truly view that pet as a family member—though that’s not always the case.

Some people are so desperate that the desperation makes them do things they never thought they would. This doesn’t just impact some of your neighbors, it impacts some of the most vulnerable—think of service animals. The general consensus is that we as a society need them, they serve a purpose, and often with them bring accommodations to their owner, or as I prefer the term “pet parent.”

I think it’s only fair that if I am to fund the needs of a human child from my tax dollars, the government can at least throw my pet child a bone. The traditional pound model has left shelters struggling with overcrowding, limited resources, and reliance on taxpayer funding, often resulting in the euthanasia of healthy animals when space and budgets are exceeded. 

So, it’s cheaper to keep them when we consider what the Pierce County, Washington audit has to say. According to Pierce County, if an animal spends roughly a week in a shelter, the county spends nearly $200 on that one animal, which is roughly $30 per day, per animal.

This makes it not only a moral issue, but a financial one as well. Personally, I have photos in my phone of my dogs and cats. How many of you have the same? Surely many of you love a pet and consider them family. 

Further, perhaps you yourself have experienced such a great financial burden that you’ve been forced to relinquish your beloved pet. According to Colorado Pet Pantry, a $5 donation can provide a month of food for a dog or cat. This is an organization I have supported and respected over the years. 

We’ve established that it costs more than $25 a month to leave your dog or cat at a shelter, so why not demand that we keep them at home, where they belong? Lastly, the stamps apply to any household pet, so your bird is getting fed this month. Look up your local government’s website, find the contact information for your city council or county representatives, and call them. Tell them you want “Pet Stamps” added for the next ballot.