1857 Tricks or Treats

Americans continue to figure out ways to lavish spending on their animal companions. A statistic I read recently may indicate why. The U.S. birthrate fell last year for the fourth year in a row, dropping to its lowest level on record. Demographers theorize that hard times are causing families to postpone having children.
Or maybe people would rather just spend money on children substitutes. Their pets.
Because another statistic said Americans are projected to spend $370 million this year on Halloween costumes for their pets. You heard me, Halloween costumes for their pets. An estimated 15 percent of the population will buy costumes for their pets. Doesn't look like children are in this equation.
So tell me, where the heck are they getting these docile animals? Every dog I've ever had would barely tolerate a collar, much less funny ears, fairy wings, and pirate eye patches. I doubt very much Sparky would have let me put him in a sweatshirt and hoody that made him look like a giant bee.
And it's certainly odd on the face of it. We used to dress up for Halloween with costumes that made us look like animals. Catsuits were the outfit of choice for 50s beatnik types. Then there were crossover looks, like Spiderman and wolfmen and such. But certainly in the human-as-animal theme.
Now we're dressing animals to look human, or like other animals. So if you're going to dress your dog like a cat, why not just get a cat?
And I'm sorry. I know we have our dogs do tricks. And I know when they do so we give them treats. But that doesn't mean they should go trick-or-treating.
I'm am not adding liver snaps to my candy bowl by the door.
America, ya gotta love it.