June 18, 2005
Doggone
Saturday evening pet blogging, U.K. edition…
The British appear to have an ambivalent relationship with animals:
Playstations and television are replacing pets in the modern home as families discover the hectic pace of their lives leaves no room for animals, according to new research. The percentage of British homes with a pet has fallen from almost 55 per cent in 1999 to 48 per cent today. In some cases, children are even turning to virtual pets instead of the real thing.
… The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), said decreasing pet ownership may reflect better decision-making by potential pet owners. “It may be that people are thinking twice over whether they have the facilities, time and inclination to care for animals correctly,” an RSPCA spokeswoman said.
Or it may be this [August 2005: link dead, no substitute available]:
Dog theft is one of Britain’s fastest-growing crimes, with dozens of new cases being reported each week. A large number involve “dog-napping”, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds being demanded for the return of a much-loved family pet.
According to DogLost, one of several bodies that have recently sprung into existence to help reunite people with their dogs, the situation is in danger of spiralling out of control … about 80 per cent of the 1,300 cases they have completed involve “suspicious” circumstances. About 10 per cent of those have been linked to some kind of demand for a ransom or reward money before the dog is returned.
In America, this kind of thing is usually a joke.
Posted by Stephen at 8:16 PM in Humanity | Permalink | TrackBack (0)
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