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Venezuelan Food Shortages Force Many to Abandon Their Pets (19 photos)

In recent years, triple-digit inflation, massive food shortages, rising crime rates, and failing public services in Venezuela have forced many families into difficult decisions. The lack of available and affordable food has led to an increasing number of pets being dropped off at shelters, or simply abandoned in the streets. The Associated Press reports that “Pet owners say the price of dog food has more than doubled in recent months to $2 a pound, more than a day’s pay for those earning the minimum wage.” Reuters photographer Carlos Garcia Rawlins and AP photographer Fernando Llano recently documented the growing number of abandoned dogs and cats in Venezuela’s parks, shelters, and private clinics.