Animals and money

It appears that soon the zoos around Boston will be receiving less than adequate state funding.They are being put in the sad position of possibly being forced to lay off approximately 160 employees. They are also facing the all-too real possibility of having to relocate as many as 1,000 zoo...

The Bronx Zoo, the largest city zoo in the country, is facing $15 million in budget cuts, and so hundreds of animals are being evicted. It's a real loss. The 114-year-old zoo, run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, is getting rid of animals based partly on which ones are popular with...

When Pedigree has a Super Bowl ad this week, it won't be advertising dog and cat food, but pet adoptions. The pet food industry has discovered cause advertising. It's a form of advertising that links a product to a feel-good cause. Instead of companies just blowing money on ads that tell you how...

If there is one upside to the economic downturn, it is the downfall of what was once assumed to be the resilient market for luxury pet goods. Dog and cat lovers are used to having ridiculous, often useless products foisted upon us. But in the last few years we have also had to endure a parade of...

The Environmental Group WildEarth Guardians says an anachronistic part of the Department of Agriculture spent $117 million last year to kill 2.4 million animals. The Wildlife Services has changed names plenty of times, but dates back to the days when the prevailing wisdom was just to wipe out any...

Animal welfare groups around the world have been noticing a new victim to the housing downturn and foreclosure crisis: pets. The lucky ones with responsible owners are turned in to local shelters. The most unfortunate dogs and cats are left imprisoned in locked homes with no food or water. They...