Coping in a "ruff" economy

Make your own leash image above from Methods and Ideas.

Wendy Diamond at the Huffington Post offers these tips for the austerity decade ahead:

1. Buy your cat and dog food in bulk.
Good advice at any time, bigger bags are better. But not so big you have to drive your SUV to get them home. In fact, buying locally, within walking distance is a good idea. Don't live close to anything. Move.

2. Get rid of your dog walker.
I don't agree. Now more than ever we need to keep people employed and dog walkers are cheap, on the margins, most vulnerable. And you? Your time is well spent working, keeping focused.

3. Use old collars and leashes instead of buying new ones.
I totally get this one, having lost many leashes over the years. I started buying dollar store leashes, which are actually not bad. You can also make your own with a clasp from the hardware store and a length of leather or nylon or even ribbon.

4. Groom at home.
Well ya, duh! Grooming is special time between you and your pet.

5. Make your own dog toys.
Nice idea. Also the Sally Ann, Goodwill, or Value Village are good places for small stuffed animals and what not. Be creative. Hey, a stick works for most dogs.

6. Do keep your yearly vet appointment.
I agree. It's worth it just in peace of mind. But you might want to shop around for a new vet. I know my neighbourhood vet is great but expensive, so I'm looking.

7. Wash and dry your dog's paws in the mud room.
Ha ha. Mud room, imagine that!

8. Finally, adopt a dog!
This is well-intentioned advice, and a good message for people who have more than they need. Maybe they could adopt a homeless person too. But you have to think too about all those dog breeders struggling to eek out a living. That's never been a very profitable business for the vast majority. I imagine the price of purebreds is going to drop significantly, and probably most breeders are already thinking hard about how many litters to have this year, none of which is good for the economy. Are breeders going to have to retool just like the Big 3!

Wendy also has some good things to say about the importance of pets in stressful times, as social instigators and companions. More about that later.

I don't know much about coupons and such but this article is pretty good on pet saving too.

Walking your dog prevents cancer

According to a new study that is to be published in June, Vitamin D, which the body creates automatically when exposed to sunlight, helps prevent cancer. This is good news of course, but not all that surprising because people have been saying for years that daily exposure to sunlight has a whole host of health benefits. Read more on CBC.ca or on Slashdot.

Dog owners get more than your average outdoor time, so that's good, but we are blessed in many other ways too:

"The effect of pet ownership on human health has been studied on a number of occasions but has been somewhat inconclusive due to the difficulties in studying such a complex relationship and assigning direction of causation. Pets provide companionship and also probably confer physiological health and psychological benefits. For example, pet owners have fewer doctors visits and longer survival following heart attack, compared to non-pet owners. Katcher and Friedmann suggested seven common functions of pet ownership: companionship; something to care for; something to touch and fondle; something to keep one busy; a focus of attention; exercise and safety. Pets have also been indicated to have important roles in enhancing child development, the wellbeing of older people and may also be used in a therapeutic setting. [source]"

What is surprising about this story is to learn that there is a worldwide epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency, according to the Vitamim D Council.

Here in Toronto, we've had some beautiful weather already and the parks have been packed on the weekend. So I'd say we can expect to see a lot of skin this summer.