Aussies Closing Only Frog Hospital

(Cairns, Queensland) On the coast in Northern Queensland, Australia's only frog hospital is closing its doors. Deborah Pergolotti, curator and founder of the Cairn-based hospital, said that the cost of treating maimed and diseased frogs is prohibitive.

"We've run out (of money) entirely," she said today.

"Everything costs money and most of the frogs we treat cost more than $100 each to be well enough for release."

Ms. Pergolotti said unlike the family cat or dog, people expected to have the frogs who live on their property treated and given back to them free of charge.

Although Australia has a socialized health care system, it doesn't cover frogs - yet. Ms. Pergolotti said that industry and the government are giving the frogs a "bum steer" because they're not cute and cuddly like dogs and cats.

It seems the solution to the problem is to go to the laboratory and develop a mutant, cuddly frog. Then industry and government would support the frog hospital. Yeah, that's the ticket.

I suggest Ms. Pergolotti read a newspaper occasionally. If she did, she would realize that Australia is constantly juggling priorities to keep hospitals for humans in operation. As such, it's hard to convince rational people that Australia can afford the luxury of taxpayer-funded hospitals for wild animals.