With the unemployment rate skyrocketing and as The Great Recession continues, our pets are feeling the effects of the economic crisis, too. The cost of pet care--from kibble to veterinary visits--is becoming, sadly, a dealbreaker for many economically hard hit Americans. It's not just middle and lower-middle class pets feeling the pinch either--earlier this year, The New York Times City Room blog ran a post on the surrendering of purebred dogs by wealthy pet owners. Even rich dogs are feeling the blues!

Pet foster care is on the rise. According to Jenny Olson, a coordinator of Pets for Life, a group that helps people find low or no-cost boarding options for pets during crises, recent clients included "a makeup artist at a TV station, a city newspaper reporter, a receptionist, a construction worker....These are people who have lost jobs and their homes and [their pets] need temporary foster care." Over the last few months, calls to Pets for Life from people who can't afford to care for their pets have increased 15-20 percentage points. According to Aimee Hartman of the ASPCA, their organization's Mobile Clinic and Outreach program has had to increase its services by more than 25 percent over the last year. "We're getting over 1,000 calls a month, which is huge, compared to how we used to get less than half of that level of interest last year," Hartman told Zootoo Pet News. "The need is kind of off the charts."

Fortunately, the news is not all bad for man's furry best friends--at least here in New York. The Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals, a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 that works closely with the city, has become a beacon in this troubled time. On October 10th, the Alliance, along with the ASPCA, sponsored a free spay, neuter, pet adoption, microchipping and vaccination clinic event in Central Park celebrating the 1st New York Week for the Animals. And who else deserves a week more than our pets, who reduce stress during these particularly tough times.

[Image: Petfinder]