Digestible Dog NewsNips™

NewsNips™ Economic Effects Of COVID-19

2020 is about protecting our family, country, health and economy, including the emotionally rewarding sport of exhibiting purebred dogs and cats.

September 2, 2020 | TheDogPress.com

Stella Starr, Pet Perspectives

Like any hobby or business endeavor, animal breeders depend on a vibrant economy and large animal breeders have been particularly hurt, financially and emotionally.

Many dairy farmers sent animals to slaughter rather than see them go hungry as thousands of gallons of milk went unsold. Horse owners struggle as demand for recreational riding continues to drop and families cancel those “out west” trail riding trips.

I have cats and rarely breed or show nowadays so I’m okay but my friends are missing the shows and the kitten sales they generate. The same can be said for dog breeders but the financial impact is greater because it is a lot easier to house and feed a Persian cat than a Great Dane dog.

My point is that we’re not hearing much about the challenges faced by farmers and animal breeders. Between Presidential politics and this Covid-19 thing, the news doesn’t cover much else.

It really bothered me this week when I heard about the 14 million acres of crops that were wiped out in Iowa. I know, you are thinking what does that have to do with showing off our dogs, cats, and livestock?

I do not want to be the bearer of bad news but my neighbor across the street pointed out that I can expect a hike in cat food prices. He’s pretty well informed so wiggling my infernal mailbox open, I said “what do you mean?”

He told me (at great length) that corn and wheat crops were literally wiped out in America's most productive farmlands. Huh? I stopped pulling on my mailbox as he said meat prices are going to go up and that includes what few pet foods still have any in it… I raised an eyebrow and he said “You told me how important real meat and fish is for your cats…”

I got it immediately. If there's any good side to this bad news, I think that beef and pork prices will probably drop because without grain to feed and fatten those animals, they will have to be sold off, even at a loss.

He raised an eyebrow and said “Yeah, and then what will we eat?”

He said that in addition to all that vital farmland destroyed, President Trump “wasn’t doing anything to help” and Iowa’s problems haven’t gotten news coverage “because of all the campaign coverage.”

Well, I paid attention to the news that night and they did do an interview with farmers in the Grain Belt. Without exception they said if they don't get some kind of federal health to rebuild these silos, some of them as big as the launch pads in Cape Canaveral, it was game over.

One reporter said he traveled over a hundred miles and everything he saw was flattened. I feed my cats meat and fish so like my neighbor, I went right out and bought more canned meats! Sardines are really cheap but even if you are feeding big dogs, you might see some sales on dog food as the market gets flooded with sold-off livestock that ranchers can’t keep feeding.

I don’t have a crystal ball but last year I suggested stocking up on essentials because of the predicted riots and violence. I like to be right and okay, my mother was a gypsy fortune-teller. I hope to be wrong but having jugs of clean water, a back-up power supply and other survival things are always appropriate when you have children or pets.

The police are doing the best they can to protect us but things have degenerated. The editor will put a link in here to what I predicted late last year. I was right and frankly I fear it is going to get worse before it gets better.
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