Health care is a common political topic, but a new survey finds a lot of Louisianans are struggling with pet care. The survey conducted by the pet products company Innovet Pet found a little more than third (34 percent) of Louisiana residents reporting "pet poverty" -- struggling financially when it comes to pet-related costs. The survey found that nationwide, 80 percent of current pet owners did not research pet care costs before getting a pet.
Elizabeth Sprang, co-founder and director of the non-profit Southern Animal Foundation veterinary clinic on Magazine St., says a lot of their business fits right into that.
"A lot of our clients are definitely lower income and do struggle with pet care and that's one reason they come to us," said Sprang.
And it's not just vet bills. Sprang says they also counsel pet owners on how to choose the right pet food, food that will keep their pets healthy and less likely to need more doctor visits, and may prevent families from having to make difficult decisions about keeping their companions.
One decision Sprang says she always discourages is euthanizing pets that families can't afford to have treated. She says if a pet becomes too much of a burden for an owner, but can be treated, they try and find new owners.
"We don't ever want anyone to feel like they have to put their dog or cat to sleep because they can't afford vet care," she said. "We fill if it's an animal we can adopt out through our adoption program, we'll have them just sign the pet over to us and then we can find the dog our cat a new home."
