05/30/2026
Some people are holding onto their dogs by a thread.
And we're arguing about blueberries.
Now isn't the time to shame people for feeding their dog the only way they financially can.
If some rice needs to be added to bulk a meal out because there simply isn't enough food, then that's where some people are right now.
A perfect raw diet served in a beautiful bowl with blackberries, green-lipped mussels and salmon oil might look great on social media.
But for some people, it feels like a slap in the face, over and over again.
They don't know you're already skipping meals yourself.
They’ve no idea you're juggling rent, power, groceries, fuel and a dozen other bills while trying to keep your dog fed too.
Being told "if you cared, you'd find a way" is SO easy when you're not the one standing in the supermarket trying to figure out how on earth you can get the whole family fed for the week when your bank app says seventeen dollars.
Let's be real.
People are surrendering their dogs because they can no longer afford to keep them.
Others are doing everything they can not to.
They're behind on the mortgage.
Behind on the rent.
Putting off things they really need.
Living in cold houses because the power bill has become yet another thing to worry about.
Answering the phone?
Well, you don’t really do that anymore because you know it’s someone wanting money that you just don't have.
And through all of this.
Day in and day out.
People are trying to keep their dog.
Because their dog is family.
Their dog that sleeps on their bed, snuggles and snores.
Their dog that got them through the divorce.
Their dog that sat beside them when life just fell apart.
Their dog was there in those moments when nobody else was.
People are clawing and scraping to hold onto that relationship.
And while they're doing everything they can to keep their dog in their home, they're being told they aren't good enough because they just can't afford someone else's version of the perfect diet.
Perspective matters.
Of course nutrition matters.
And yup, we should feed the best diet we reasonably can.
But right now.
In these economic times.
A dog eating a less-than-perfect diet in a loving home is often in a far, far better position than a dog that loses that home altogether.
And for many families, that's not a hypothetical.
That's the very decision they're trying desperately not to make.
