内容摘要：“The judiciary has a lot of scores to settle in this country,” said Georgina De la Fuente, election specialist with the Mexican consulting firm Strategia Electoral.

“The judiciary has a lot of scores to settle in this country,” said Georgina De la Fuente, election specialist with the Mexican consulting firm Strategia Electoral.

Argentina’s rising passion for dogs has coincided with falling human fertility. In 2023, Argentina’s birth rate was 6.5% lower than the previous year and 41% lower than it was a decade ago. Kindergartens report struggling to fill classrooms.No longer able to afford bigger purchases amid a

, Argentina’s middle and upper classes are splurging on their pets. Withand the economy just emerging from a recession under Argentina’s libertarian, pups have become precious relatives.

“It’s harder to access loans or own a home; there’s no longer a set way to form a family,” said Dr. Marcos Díaz Videla, a psychologist specialized in human-canine relationships. “Animals are becoming part of the family. With humans, they’re shaping the dynamics, rituals and routines inside the home.”The tendency for pet owners to treat their dogs like kids is changing the cityscape as pet hotels, boutiques, cafes and even cemeteries spring up in Buenos Aires to cash in on the craze.

Carolina Morales holds her four-month-old son Benjamin as her husband Alejandro Tirachini holds the family pet Thay, whom they consider their first son, while they pose for a photo backdropped by a painting of Thay by artist Lisandro Guma, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Carolina Morales holds her four-month-old son Benjamin as her husband Alejandro Tirachini holds the family pet Thay, whom they consider their first son, while they pose for a photo backdropped by a painting of Thay by artist Lisandro Guma, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)and the economy just emerging from a recession under Argentina’s libertarian

, pups have become precious relatives.“It’s harder to access loans or own a home; there’s no longer a set way to form a family,” said Dr. Marcos Díaz Videla, a psychologist specialized in human-canine relationships. “Animals are becoming part of the family. With humans, they’re shaping the dynamics, rituals and routines inside the home.”

The tendency for pet owners to treat their dogs like kids is changing the cityscape as pet hotels, boutiques, cafes and even cemeteries spring up in Buenos Aires to cash in on the craze.Carolina Morales holds her four-month-old son Benjamin as her husband Alejandro Tirachini holds the family pet Thay, whom they consider their first son, while they pose for a photo backdropped by a painting of Thay by artist Lisandro Guma, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)