Families under financial duress who are considering giving up a pet they cannot care for properly to a shelter may want to reconsider their position, as more shelters are already finding themselves struggling to care for the extra pets they have been given because of the economy.

Instead of giving up a pet to an overcrowded shelter, considering a payday loan to get it the proper care and medical costs it needs to live a healthy life while keeping it with its family may be a better solution.

According to LakeGenevaNews.net, the Lakeland Animal Shelter in Elkhorn, Wisconsin is one such place that has seen numerous examples on the toll that the economy has taken on house pets.

Currently 50 more dogs and 100 more cats than they are accustomed to caring for as more families unable to properly care for their pet have left them in the shelter’’s hands; Director Kristen Perry said that any open space has needed to be converted into space to house the extra pets.

"We always have the worry that there will be a greater need for more homeless animals than we can provide for because of space and financial constraints," she said.

Additionally, Perry said that pets at the shelter who had not received proper care from their families often suffered from poorer coats and worse teeth than other pets.

Similar to the MRSA bug that led to many worries last year, doctors have been seeing increased cases of a new "superbug" that there are few known medications for.

According to Syracuse-based WYSR-TV, Acinetobacter is a new bacteria that has found in increasing numbers in U.S. hospitals.

The bacteria, which is causing worry because of the lack of antibiotics that are effective against it, grows in liquid and therefore can live in lungs and bodily fluids of those affected and cause infections such as pneumonia.

A new study that will be released in the February 2010 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology described Acinetobacter as “an increasingly important hospital-associated pathogen” that has been seen n increasing numbers in hospitals.

Additionally, it found that the fewer drugs had an effect on curing or mitigating the illness.

“Multidrug resistance among Acinetobacter species continues to rise, and infection with these multidrug-resistant organisms has a profound negative impact on patient outcomes,” it read.

It concluded that increasingly resistant strains of the bug should be considered a “high priority for disease control.”

Because of the lack of working medications against the bacteria, people who find themselves infected with Acinetobacter may need more medications and/or doctor visits than usual. If those costs begin to mount, payday loans may be able to solve the immediate financial issues.

As nor’easters and blizzards begin to become more common during the winter months, melting snow and ice that can’t find its way into clogged storm drains will result in an increased amount of flooding that homeowners may have to deal with.

Emergency costs associated with seasonal flooding can become extremely pricey for those affected and require thousands of dollars in repairs from homeowners with inadequate home insurance plans.

According to FloodSmart.gov, only one inch of floodwater in a house can lead to $7,800 in losses, with more than half of the expenses covering the replacement of carpets, flooring, and baseboard moldings.

The National Weather Service recently issued flood warnings in Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan in the wake of winter storms that dropped up to 24 inches of snow in some areas, according to the Associated Press.

The report also singled out a number of flood-related situations that had started following a snowstorm, such as a woman and her teenage daughter needing to be rescued from a swollen creek after their SUV went off the road.

For those who find themselves in financial binds as they deal with emergency home or car repairs caused by a seasonal flood, cash advances may be able to provide financial assistance without having to risk incurring additional credit card debt.

New Yorkers hoping for some leniency before being hit with an expensive parking ticket are out of luck, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg has put the kibosh on a proposal giving motorists a 5-minute period of extra time before getting ticketed.

"While characterized as a ”grace period” to benefit drivers who are rushing to their vehicles, this universal extension of time for drivers would have the practical effect of impeding traffic flow and disrupting street cleaning operations," Bloomberg said of his decision to reject the measure.

He added that allowing a “grace period” before ticketing would “have a negative impact on the quality of life for all city residents” while creating confusion amid its difficulty to enforce.

According to the city’s Department of Finance, parking fees ranged from $26 for using an expire meter to $115 for blocking a fire hydrant.

For drivers in the Big Apple who use their car within city lines on a daily basis and accrue a number of tickets, missing payment dates and facing further fees and court dates could prove detrimental to their bank account and driver’s license.

However, paying off the tickets with a payday loan could avoid a great deal of hassle while keeping one out of debt and free of facing unexpected charges down the road.

Whether it is to put together a down payment for home insurance coverage or to scrape together recovery costs after being hit by a natural disaster, money from payday loans can be an important factor in the recovery process following a natural disaster.

According to the new Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe report released last week, natural disaster events that occurred all over the world in 2009 caused $20 billion in damages that were covered by insurers.

Concerning the U.S., the report found that approximately 1,109 tornadoes touched down across the country in 2009. Additionally, nine storms developed in the Atlantic Ocean throughout the year and threatened the U.S., even though none of them ever came ashore.

“There is still a high prevalence of natural catastrophes throughout the world, and that the resulting insured and economic losses are extremely costly to global insurers, governments and the general public,” said Byron Ehrhart, the CEO of Aeon Benfield.

“Insurers and reinsurers need to become even more aware of their risks and exposures in catastrophe-prone areas, as well as reviewing the latest research into natural perils to try to stay ahead of the game.”

The report concluded that 222 separate catastrophic events occurred in 2009, up from 213 events in 2008.

With the holiday season coming to a close, a number of families are probably tending to new pets received as gifts. However, with those new pets may come a number of costs with them too.

According to Bankrate.com, puppies that are purchased from a pet shop can often carry with them an expensive price tag after taking into account the medical costs to make sure the it is healthy.

Unlike professional breeders that often lose money on initial sales of dogs because of the costs they incur to raise the puppy properly, Bankrate said that pet stores got their animals from “commercial breeding operations” that breed in volume and follow government regulations for minimum “food, shelter, cage size and care.”

"Pet stores then turn around and sell these puppies for an extraordinary profit," says Cori A. Menkin, the senior director of legislative initiatives for the ASPCA. "We have seen puppies for sale in pet stores for as much as $2,500."

As a result, puppies born through commercial services can often suffer from poor breeding methods, “chronic sanitation issues” due to being kept in such close quarters with other animals, and side effects created by not having enough time with their mother.

For families that have received puppies from pet stores as presents this holiday season, there may be a litany of tests and medical procedures that must occur to ensure their safety. If prices for the procedures begin to get out of hand, payday loans may be a viable solution to cover the needed costs.

A new assistance program for families stricken with homes that contain corrosive Chinese drywall may not properly help those who are already in debt recover fully from construction costs they may incur.

According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 2,360 homeowners in 35 different states and Washington D.C. have been found to have the corrosive drywall in their homes. A majority of the homes found with the drywall were found in Florida, Louisiana, and Virginia.

Under the proposed HUD homeowner assistance plan, special forbearances would be approved for qualifying FHA-insured homeowners that would either suspend or reduce the mortgage payments owed for a period of time to allow the homeowner a chance to recover from the costs of replacing the drywall.

The Journal added that the cost estimates for drywall replacement can range from $80,000 to $100,000.

"We want to remove additional pressures for these families as they find solutions to allow them to return to a safe, decent and sanitary home," said FHA Commissioner David Stevens.

Following the suspended payment period, borrowers would be given time to make their normal mortgage payments before beginning their repayment period.

While the HUD plan will likely help many homeowners, it may not be enough for affected families already facing debt before dealing with drywall replacement costs. While unable to cover all costs associated with it, such families may be able to benefit from payday loans to ease their financial burdens during such difficult times.

A recent posting on a pharmaceutical information website has called into question the Food and Drug Administration’’s claims that name-brand drugs and their generic equivalents are "identical," instead claiming that there are notable differences between the two.

"What the FDA does not tell you in this sentence is that generic drugs can have different ”inert” ingredients or fillers," read a recent article on PeoplesPharmacy.com. "In other words, all the other stuff except the active ingredient could be completely different."

In order to substantiate their claim, the website dissected the differences between the brand-name antidepressant drug Wellbutrin XL 300 and its generic equivalent Budeprion XL 300 – which had received a number of complaints from its users regarding its effectiveness.

While Wellbutrin XL 300 used "membrane" technology for the slow release of bupropion – the drug’s active ingredient – the posting added that the Food and Drug Administration had confirmed that Budeprion XL 300 used a different "matrix" technology that released the active ingredient in a much shorter time span.

The website added that it had received complaint regarding many other generic drugs in comparison to their name-brand alternatives from its readers, including the heart drug Toprol XL (and its generic equivalent metoprolol succinate) and pain reliever OxyContin (oxycodone).

For consumers who are in need of a prescription medication that needs to work exactly as advertised in order to remain healthy but are short on finances, taking out a payday loan in order to afford the name-brand drug instead of a perhaps-questionable alternative may be a safe move to ensure that one remains healthy.

A new study published by Duke University scientists in the most recent edition of an American Heart Association journal has found that heart attack victims assigned to rehabilitation programs who do not complete their treatment are less likely to survive the condition.

According to the study, which measured the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programs covered by Medicare on its patients, 18 percent of patients who attended less than 12 rehab sessions had died within three years of their heart attack, bypass operation, or clogged arteries, the Associated Press reported.

Conversely, the study found that only 11 percent of patients who attended all 36 rehab sessions had died, equating to a 47 percent reduction of the risk of death.

"What this study shows in a very convincing manner is that the more sessions a cardiac patient goes to, the better off they are," said Dr. Stanley Hazen, chief of preventive cardiology and rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic, told the AP.

While the Duke study was conducted using records of those who have suffered heart conditions and are covered by Medicare, its results demonstrate that victims of a heart attack or bypass surgeries are in significant need of medical help in order to recuperate from their condition.

For those who are not covered by Medicare and must pay for any type of rehabilitation or recuperation on their own, payday loans may be able assist in funding initial payments to help such medical care is provided to those who need it most.

A new study from Johns Hopkins University has found that, despite the medical evidence showing that an MRI exam can help detect early malignancies and possibly lead to the quick detection and removal of breast cancer, 42 percent of women with a high risk of developing breast cancer object to taking the free exam.

The reasons given by the 512 women who refused treatment during the study, which offered the exam to 1,215 women and will have its results published in January’’s issue of Radiology, varied from a fear of claustrophobia brought on by the machine that conducts the test to a hesitation to be injected with a "contrast medium" needed for the exam.

However, the study also found that a number of women had refused the exam because of costs that must be incurred in order to get to and from the hospital to receive the free exam.

"Given that MRI is promoted as a very sensitive test to identify early breast cancer, we were surprised that barely half of women at increased risk for breast cancer would undergo MRI even when offered at no cost," said Dr. Wendie A. Berg, a breast imaging specialist at Johns Hopkins and the author of the study.

For women who are holding back on receiving an MRI exam that could potentially save their lives because of costs associated with traveling to an exam location instead other fear associated with the exam, payday loans may be able to cover the transportation costs in order to get tested.