When people suffer financially, their animals face hardship, too. At the beginning of the year the Humane Society warned about about shelters being overwhelmed. Dogs and cats were losing their families when those families lost their homes. Now we're hearing about all kind of animals suffering in the financial downturn. Basically any animal that depends on humans is a little bit less secure.

Dogs and Cats
Shelters around the country report a surge of animals surrendered. Some have surely been forced into the situation, but lots of animals seem to be cast out as if they were impractical luxury goods. In Los Angeles, an 11-year-old shepherd was left scared in the shelter; the Animal Shelter of Sterling, MA, tells the Worcester Telegram that they haven't seen this many surrendered animals in 15 years; dogs in Dallas are being dumped on the side of the road. And, as I wrote about earlier, some people cruelly abandoned their pets in the house as a way to inflict suffering on the bank -- never mind what it did to the animal.

As the summer of the staycation draws to a close, you may be looking for something, anything fun to do around home that doesn't cost a lot of money. My big hobby is going places to see wild animals. And I'm certainly not alone.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 recreation survey says 87 million Americans now actively watch wildlife, many going on long trips. That's more than hunt (12.5 million), though lots of hunters are wildlife watchers, too. As a hobby I'm trying to map them out on a website animaltourism.com.

The most satisfying way to see animals is in the wild, which is also the toughest, requiring knowledge, patience and luck. If you're thinking of a trip with kids, you probably don't want to have to try to keep them quietly waiting for hours with a good chance of disappointment. So, the next best thing are wildlife rehabilitation facilities and sanctuaries for exotic animals. For the little kids, even farm animals are a big thrill.