Anthrozoös, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 37(5), С. 881 - 904
Опубликована: Май 23, 2024
Drawing on data from a project examining experiences of accessing support for pets the UK animal welfare charity Blue Cross, this paper illuminates impact financial hardship pet owners. Twenty service users (15 female, 5 male, aged 29–67 years) took part in individual online semi-structured interviews. Sixteen were receiving free or reduced-cost veterinary care (eligibility is based certain means-tested benefits and catchment area). Participants encouraged to talk about their with set key questions capturing chronology events employed as guide. All participants (even when relatively financially secure) alluded expense having rising cost all aspects care. The majority had struggled recent years due changes circumstances (reduced income stop working illness, injury, carer responsibilities). Others been low long term. Seeking was often result health issue emergency pet, unanticipated costs (operations, transporting animal, scans, treatment) simply unaffordable. People faced heart-wrenching dilemma what do help describing these times most stressful lives, only becoming aware charitable via word-of-mouth. Two our participants' stories show how you have limited resources, serious problems, complicated circumstances, life can spiral out control lead difficult situations pets. However, it also highlights resilience strategies are established process, mitigating some extent future crises. We highlight full range issues experienced economic vulnerability consider implications organizations providing people who struggling simultaneously finances mental health.
Язык: Английский