Crisis in Russia’s economy has made an adverse impact even on pets. According to the pet business confederation, over 50% of stores dealing in goods for pets have to terminate their business due to plummeting sales. Confederation Chair Kyrill Dmitriev reported on a 50-70% slump in sales. Pet food from foreign producers has inflated painfully amid waning demand. Pet owners opt to change a diet for their domestic animals in favor of Russian tinned meat and cereals. Besides, average Russians cannot afford to buy new dog-collars, toys, and small pet gifts. The economic crisis is a weighty argument why more people give up the idea of buying a pet. For example, a number of sold puppets fell threefold in Moscow. Kennels almost stopped breeding dogs of large species such as great danes, rottweilers, and Caucasian shepherd dogs. “Both demand for pets and interest in keeping them has taken a nosedive. Those ones who were going to buy a pet give up this idea. Consumers decide on cheaper Russian pet food, veterinary medicines, and shampoo instead of imported expensive articles. The other option to save money is to feed domestic pets by human meals instead of special food. So pet owners cook themselves rather than buy costly pet food,” Kyrill Dmitriev said. Unfortunately, pet products from Russian producers are likely to be a short-lived solution because Russian manufacturers are eager to swell prices in their zeal to raise profits.
