Sunday, September 16, 2018

Socialism Isn’t Even Suited for Dogs


Steve Hanke writes:
In Venezuela, a kilo of dog food costs three weeks' salary for a minimum wage employee. Barely able to feed themselves, Venezuelans are releasing their pets, flooding the streets with abandoned dogs. Socialism isn’t even suited for dogs.
From the Washington Post:
 The last time Sheldon had had a dog treat was in November. By January, the family’s budget was so tight that Lema stopped buying pet shampoo and began limiting Sheldon’s
meals to one a day. By June, his only sustenance was a few leftover vegetables from the family table. Once playful, Sheldon became lethargic — sitting in a corner in distress.

“I looked at the dog and couldn’t sleep,” Lema said. “It felt urgent.”

So she took a step that is becoming increasingly common in this collapsing nation: giving up the family pet.

If life in Venezuela has become hard for humans, it has become even harder for many pets. With inflation soaring toward 1 million percent, dog food and veterinary care have spiraled out of reach for millions of people. One kilo — or 2.2 pounds — of dog food, for instance, now costs nearly the equivalent of three weeks’ salary for a minimum-wage worker.

The result, animal specialists say, has been an exploding population of abandoned dogs on the streets and rising numbers in underfunded shelters.
-RW  


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