Yes, it’s about £5 a week here to sponsor a child, the equivalent of 2 cups of cafe coffee or one coffee and cake.
My two little dogs cost a fair bit in the end. The yearly anaesthesia to have their teeth done, the tick and flea and worming treatments. And that’s just the basics.
But I did go to a market recently where they had a ‘gift pack’ with 2 large bottles of alcohol free beer and some biscuits for dogs, which may be why I came up with this pie in the sky idea

My mum’s friend sponsored a child. She became a doctor and has less than 3 children. There is a discussion about population and the positive affects of education below too

That is really noble, but I question the ethics of giving livestock away in third world countries, as they will spend their whole lives as slaves, ploughing fields, being whipped or ridden on, literally breaking their backs, have their babies and milk stolen and eventually, eaten. All this, to support exploding populations in the third world. If I had the numbers of children that many in the third world do, then I too would be poor.

You did see that it’s categorised as, ‘Silly, random and fun’, right? And sure, fixing your County’s issues sounds like a great start.

@girlwithsmiles yes, I did, and i still am having a lot of trouble figuring out how this is supposed to be "fun".

@1of5 to make people think. Yes I think people trying to help their own Countries prior to lavishly caring for pets would be a great step in the right direction personally. If that happens to be America go for it. There seem to be people in need everywhere.

I didn’t suggest they give up their pets. As for numbers of those alone with pets I don’t know, the last article that I found, specific to America, was from about 5 years ago: [blogs.denverpost.com]
It suggested then that numbers were rising.

Homeless dog in a 3rd world country? probly eaten by starving 3rd world children.

@PinkyandtheBrain NOOOO...Here!

@PinkyandtheBrain Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, first response.

Sounds good, many do... unfortunately many don’t.

@girlwithsmiles Thank you but please don't "look up to me" after all I am just a mere and often faulty mortal Human Being who tries his best to care for the planet and everything on it.

You are now officially someone I look up to.

Spoken exactly like someone worthy of it! Lols, don’t worry I’m not prone to being a sycophant and won’t turn up on your doorstep! Lols.

@girlwithsmiles Now you are really making me blush with embarrassment but hey, my door is ALWAYS open to friends, visitors, etc, just as long as they are willing to take me as they find me.

Education And birth control leads to less births.

@girlwithsmiles How has that been working?

@Grahame It's true, we could feed the world. But then what? Our imminent extinction is a much more serious problem. The people we help survive will die with us when we go, whether it's WW III or ecological collapse.

If it makes you feel better to help the destitute, please proceed. However, do not imagine that you are doing anything more that putting off the inevitable. (I recently hosted a pair of homeless in my house for more than a year. While they were wonderful people, they became problematic. I've done my goodwill for a while.)

Religious beliefs functionally endorse the inverted morality of "more power-less responsibility." We will never be able to help the poor, OR save our own skins until we figure out how to stop corruption.

@PondartIncbendog A bit like this: [google.com.au]
(Link to the economist magazine article about how education and birth control is lowering the global birth rate).

@girlwithsmiles Birth rate is not the problem. The continuing growth is not the same as birth rate.
Voluntary population control based on education is not working.

@PondartIncbendog well I don’t have any children, that’s all the control I have, I’m not about to run around sterilising and supplying vasectomies against people’s wills. What do you suggest? Many potential answers infringe human rights.

@girlwithsmiles I don't suggest anything. But this is a irrational conclusion and solution.

@racocn8 if you feed/healed them all, the population could easily Quadruple or more in a generation..... not desirable, and a damned harsh fact, but sadly true.

@AnneWimsey no worries. My Charities this year don’t actually include world vision, although I have supported them in the past. But I don’t spend hundreds of pounds a month on a dog either lols. It is actually posted under funny, random and fun, but certainly struck a chord. Of course people should support whichever causes they see fit and worthy of their support.

@girlwithsmiles I do not know anyone, and I have been in the Agility & Hunt Test worlds for decades,who spend anywhere Near that amount unless the dog has cancer......you wildly overestimate that based n what a few rich idiots do, not real owners!

Really? I had a family friend who sponsored a child, she became a doctor and came over to thank her sponsor. Experts in the field say that although corruption is rife in some Countries; aid still makes a massive difference.
But sure, no one’s going to police such a project, we’ll just quietly add it onto your pet insurance

@Bierbasstard you missed the irony

More expensive, but sure, any decent human charity would help us progress.

So it’s not just me! I kind of feel guilty for thinking it, but some of the more affluent do seem to missing some great opportunities to help the world as a whole.

@girlwithsmiles Don't feel guilty about stating what is blatantly evident.
Struth there are countless T.V. shows being aired these days about people and how they pamper their pets, or the seeming American ( and one English show as well btw) that promote and endorse Pet Psychologists/Counselors and the like.
A Psychologist/Counselor for a dog, you've got to be kidding.

@Triphid these overindulged pets & their idiot owners are on TV because they are Far from the norm!

@AnneWimsey Not all of them are, trust me, we have quite a few around here that really overindulge their 'fur babies' as they call them.