Food Stamps For Pets?

It has come to this.

There’s currently an online petition, asking the USDA to issue food stamps for pets. It already has over 169,300 signatures.

Here’s the description:

Each year, over 40 million low- or no-income people in the United States rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help purchase food for themselves and their families. It is the most wide-reaching program in the domestic hunger safety net, helping keep millions of families from starving.

But what about their pets? Unfortunately, SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy pet food, leaving poor families with pets in a difficult position.

I am one of those Americans. I have only been on SNAP benefits for a few months, but I have been unable to feed my little dog due to government regulations.

Wait wait WAIT. I’m sorry. You haven’t been able to feed your dog because of “government regulations”? No. I can’t believe I even need to say this out loud, but it’s not the government’s fault you’re incapable of feeding your dog. It’s YOUR fault. I repeat, it is NOT the taxpayer’s responsibility to feed your dog. Get another job or give your dog away to someone who can properly care for it. The end.

Please sign this petition if you think SNAP benefits should extend nutrition assistance to include pet food!

Some argue that people should not keep pets if they cannot afford them, but the fact is that an individual or family’s financial status can change at any time. Should someone be forced to give up a pet they’ve had for years just because they hit a financial rough patch? Or should they be able to utilize federal aid to continue feeding their pet?

No. I don’t buy that argument. There are VERY RARE CASES of people suddenly losing everything and being unable to properly feed their dog. In those VERY RARE INSTANCES, there’s no shortage of charities and generally generous people who can help until you get back on your feet. But SNAP for dogs? No. There’s no need to make this the norm. It’s not a lifestyle, and if the government did this, there would be no turning back. It would be abused to NO end. More waste.

Pets are also important for emotional support. Being poor is hard enough without being expected to give up your companion. For most people, pets are considered family, not property.

Yes. Dogs are, in my humble opinion, the absolute BEST. But here’s the thing: No one is entitled to free food for a pet. Or a pet, for that matter.

I don’t want to see a person have to give up their animal, but I’m sure those are really rare situations, and there’s no shortage of other ways to help.

Asking the government to issue food stamps for pets? Definitely NOT the answer.

Taxpayers don’t need that burden. Figure it out yourself. GAWD.