When we traveled in Australia, we had the opportunity to see many Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. These large parrots are found in much of Australia in the wild. They are intelligent and a bit noisy and they are popular as pets. Historically, keeping the birds as pets has contributed to the expansion of their territory around the island nation. People kept the birds as pets, traveled to new homes and spread the range of distribution of the birds. The birds adapted to new surroundings and thrived and reproduced in new places.

These iconic Australian birds are long-lived. There are documented cases of the birds living more than eighty years in captivity. That long life span has resulted in a unique type of protection for the birds under Australian law. A person who adopts a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo as a pet must have a plan of care for the bird that extends beyond the life of the original owner. They are required to have a will that provides for the the care of the animal if the owner dies before the bird.

Australians take the care of their pets seriously. Abandoning a pet is an offense in Australia. When a pet owner’s circumstances change and they are no longer able to care for the pet, it is the responsibility of the owner to find a suitable new home for the animal. If an individual abandons an animal on the street or in the country and that abandonment is discovered, the offending person is subject to fines and imprisonment. Penalties also exist for animal cruelty and neglect. The maximum penalty for a person convicted of unreasonable abandonment or release is $41,355 or 1 year in prison. Pets are serious business for Australians.

Here is another bit of trivia I learned about Australian pet laws. Bobbing the tail of a pet dog, including Australian Shepherds, is illegal in Australia. The dogs’ tails are commonly bobbed here in the United States. The tradition came from the use of the dogs to herd cattle. The long tails might be stepped upon by cows as the dogs ran around their feet. Bobbing the tails enabled the dogs to be more effective at getting the cows to move as the rancher desired. The look of the shepherds without their tails became popular and people who keep them as pets often have dogs whose tails have been removed here in the US. That is not the case in Australia, where long tails are the norm.

I recently read an article on the BBC website that documents the struggles of animal shelters in Australia. As the cost of living has soared around the world, due in part of the pandemic and the Ukraine war, food, fuel, and other essentials have risen in price, pinching families whose income has not kept pace. Along with rapid rises in the cost of living are huge rises in the cost of pet care items. The price of pet food and care items increased 12% in Australia in the past year. Similar price increases have occurred around the world. The cost of pet food is up by 10.3% in the United States, 8.8% in the European Union, and 8.4% in the United Kingdom.

Pet owners are literally forced to make a choice between feeding family members and feeding their pets. In Australia there are some animal shelters that are a last resort for pet owners who cannot find suitable homes for their pets. Stories of pet owners in tears bringing their beloved pets to the shelters are common. One story reported by the BBC was of a woman who herself was facing homelessness and had no way to keep her cat.

I frequently see homeless people on the streets of American cities who have pets with them. I admit that I have not thought about how those people obtain food for their pets. A number of years ago we delivered firewood and supplies to homes cut off by a huge blizzard in South Dakota. Among the supplies that I delivered was a large bag of dog food. Messages received from those who could not get out was that they were running out of food for their pets.

Pets are important parts of people’s lives. They can provide emotional support and help prevent severe mental illnesses. A crisis in animal welfare is a projection of a crisis in the welfare of people. Animal rescue groups in many countries around the world are seeing a jump in the number of animals abandoned or brought to shelters as household finances are strained to the breaking point.

For apartment dwellers in the United States in addition to the rapid rise in the cost of pet food and supplies the cost of keeping an animal includes additional housing deposits and often an increase in rent for those who keep pets. Rental prices, including increased deposits and increases for having a pet, have contributed to the squeeze on family finances.

The pets in our family corresponded to our children. We kept pets when our children were living at home, understanding how pets and children are a very good match. Having responsibility for pet care chores is good for children and having a pet as a confidant can help a child to sort our their emotions. After our children moved from our home and their pets died, we did not acquire additional pets and at this time we don’t have any pets. So it isn’t fair for me to make comments about others pets. It would be easy to point out that adopting a Neapolitan mastiff will result in higher pet food bills than adopting a chihuahua, but when it comes to love, practical concerns rarely take center stage.

The BBC article has gotten met to thinking about how important pet food and supplies are to those who have many other needs. Our church hosts a free mobile pet clinic for those who are experiencing homelessness. It is yet another way that we provide support to those who have needs and share the resources that have come into our stewardship. Providing for the care of animals is another example of caring for “the least of these.” I think I’ll start paying a bit more attention to the needs of our neighbors with my newfound education.