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Foreclosure Affects Our Four-Legged Friends
People are abandoning their pets! As our economy becomes less stable and the fear of recession sets in, homeowners all over the country are fleeing their homes in financial crisis. As they pack up what belongings they can and throw their kids in the car, someone is being left behind: the family pet.
How could that happen? I keep asking myself that same question. Lately, it seems like every day I see a new article about the foreclosure rate and how it's creating more homeless pets. It's a nationwide problem, and one that is seemingly only going to get worse.
I read recently on MSN.com that "foreclosures rose 45 percent in January compared to a year ago, and experts only expect the pace to accelerate." That's a frightening statistic. And let's face it, when homeowners are forced from their homes for any reason, it's in a frenzy. But I have to admit that when I was a 20something and I was evicted from my crummy apartment, I didn't even consider leaving my dog behind.
People being forced from their homes are desperate, scared, and in crisis mode. And in my heart of hearts I have a hard time believing that when pets are surrendered at a shelter there is malice in the owner's heart. They are in a bind and it's the last thing that they want to do. But I have to wonder when someone closes their front door and leaves their pet behind, who do they think is going to take care of them?
Luckily, for those folks who find themselves in a foreclosure situation, the Humane Society of the United States has risen to the top with a new grant program for shelters and tons of resources for pet owners with foreclosure troubles.
The American Veterinary Medical Association also has a great FAQ section devoted solely to helping folks with pet placement during foreclosures. If you are concerned that you might be asked to leave your home, start planning for your pet now. It will cut down on the stress if it actually happens.
Rescue organizations and shelters are also stepping up to the plate by beefing up their foster programs and ensuring that there are additional foster homes for foreclosed pets.
A lot of folks have asked me how they can help. It's simple. If you are thinking about adding a new pet to your family--ADOPT! You're helping one homeless pet find love within your own family and you're freeing up a spot at the shelter or rescue so another pet can be saved. If you aren't looking for a pet right now, consider making a donation to either the Humane Society's Foreclosure Pet Fund or donate to your local rescue or shelter.
Financial crisis is hard, but pets are not property. Don't leave them behind with the ugly lamp that you got from Aunt Betty. There is help. There are alternatives. Seek them out and use them.
Copyright 2008 WE: Women's Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.
This is so sad. If my wife and I didn't have our two big adopted stray dogs, I'm sure we'd adopt an abandoned dog. My main reason to post this comment is:
Wouldn't it be nice if neighbors of pending foreclosed properties would help transition pets before the pets are left alone! Even if the neighbor could not take them in, the pets could go to another home or at least to a shelter, thereby avoiding suffering. I think the neighbor would feel a great sense of accomplishment and very good about themselves.
Bob.53
I agree about how sad it is that some homeowners are forced to leave their pets behind, like they don't care. I wish that wasn't an option. :(
I'm having a hard time comprehending this. Leaving the family pet behind is like leaving one of your children behind. It's just unthinkable under any circumstance. To me it just screams people being irresponsible. What has our society become that they hold nothing sacred anymore?
I can't understand it either. I feel like in some instances, folks just consider their pets another piece of property instead of a cherished member of the family. Very sad, indeed.
If people have pets they need to take them with them when they move and if they can't take there pets then they need to find a home for them I dont belive that people leave there pets with out food or water. just because they lose there home that tells me that they don't care for there pets it makes me sick because i have a dog and i would never do that what is wrong with people if worse come worse take there dog or cat to shelter or put it on Graigs list.
People are loseing there homes and leaving there pet's behind that's wrong I have a black lab and i would never do that to my dog i love my dog to much to do that I can't belive people do that. If you cant take care of them then you need to find a nice home for them or take them to a shelter. There's people who leave there pets in a empty house with no food or water that shows me that dont care that much for there pet they should never have a pet.
how can you leave behind your pet??? that's cruel!
pets are members of the family. our dog, lucky,
is the light of our lives. my husband and i think of her as our own child. we adopted lucky when her pervious owners were moving and decided that they didn't want her anymore. when i heard that my husband and i drove over there and quickly brought her home so she would not be in a shelter or on the street. now 3 years later she is a healthy happy dog who we love and could never and would never leave behind. i would sooner live in my car before i would leave lucky behind.
Melissapaul, you and your husband are angels !!!!
I read something worse than this recently. Not only is the forclosure crisis causing homeless pets, but people who aren't being forclosed upon are also abandoning pets by "dropping them off in a different neighborhood/parking lot" or at a shelter, as well as neglecting the health of their pets.
Why? Because of the rising costs for gas and food and everything else. Some people think it's OK to sacrifice a pet to free up more cash for entertainment.
So they are cutting back on vet care and/or putting pets down at a higher rate, or ulitmately getting rid of them one way or another.
I am sorry-but to me that is simply appalling.
You wouldn't do that to your sister or your child, and in our house-pets are family members too.
I can't imagine leaving my pets behind.
I cannot believe people actually do this to there pets.I have 2 cats and 2 dogs if I left them I dont know what I would do.
All of my pets were adopted. my cats are brothers we adopted at a shelter and both of my dogs were rescued from there abusers. one of my dogs was tied to a tire when she was just a puppy and left there to die. hearing that story broke my heart I adopted her immeadiately . my other dog was thrown away in a plastic bag with her sister when she was two weeks old i adpoted her immediately also.
This is why I hate people... A few years ago, my husband and I tried to find an apartment that would allow for our cat. We couldn't find anything reasonable and just decided to buy a condo that allowed us to have pets. Along with our cat, we now have a dog. I can honestly tell you,that I would never give up either one of them for any reason. It's not a option!
I can't imagine leaving my pets abandoned. They are like family-it would be like leaving one of your children. I'm glad to read in article that there are agency's that may help in a foreclosure or disaster situation like Katrina. I wish I had the means to adopt more dogs/pets. I would have 100 if I did.
That's how much my heart goes out to these animals in this situation. We had a sailor here locally, just this week who deployed/transferred and left his dog behind in the apt. This poor dog survived on nothing but toilet water for a month and a half before being discovered and rescued. Charges are pending to the owner, once they track him down.
OMG.. So sad and so truly happening everywhere. I'm in the mortgage industry and its worse than what stats are showing. I hear stories like this on a daily basis. All we can do is HOPE for change.
I normally would never do this, but I attend pet shows as a vendor and yesterday I was at a adoption show for dogs and I feel compelled to comment.
I agree that no one should abandon their pet when there are shelters that they can be taken to. But to just blog about this issue is not enough.
Some people are not only losing their homes, but their jogs and they have no where to go but the streets.
Who is responsible for this? Who do we blame? Who do we hold accountable? I think we all are to some degree. No person is an island, we all affect one another in one form or another.
Where do we start? What can we do to start change? You start at the top. I have always held to the belief that the person (or persons) in charge of a company, an organization or a country sets the agenda, sets the tone.
Our President, our Congressmen/women, our Senators, our local Mayors, our elected officials took an oath to protect and defend us when they took office. They have not. There is more to defend than just terrorism from another country. Terror comes in many forms. I feel more terror from the drug addicts and gangs in our own country than I do of Bin Laden. I feel terror everytime the mailman comes with my bills, everytime I go to the gas pump, the grocery store, etc, and I feel terror and heartache everytime I see unwanted and unloved pets and this leaves emotional scars on me.
And the abandoned animals certainly feel more alone, helpless and terrified. And just like us, they also have emotional scars and baggage that the shelters or new owners will have to deal with.
I do not mean to make this a political comment but had they (our elected officials) been doing their jobs and watching out for the people of America and what is best for "this country" then we would not be in the mess we are in.
We need to do more than just vote come this November. We cannot change anything if we do not get involved. We have to make our voices heard.
Write everyone you can starting at the top, the President, your Congressman/woman, your Senator and on down the line and tell them how you feel and what is important to you, your concerns, your issues, etc. Send it to them and your local newspapers, your local TV news, CNN, MSNBC, etc. And make a copy. After the election send them again.
Make your voice heard. "Your voice" is the voice of every abandoned pet that is walking the streets or left in a backyard or in an animal shelter. Make it heard. Together our voices can change the world we live in and our pets live in.
Wow, I can not even imagine leaving my pets behind! I recently read that in a certain state Pitt Bull's were now illegal and that all people with Pit's must "DESTROY" their pets. It also states that if they go to the Shelters in that state they will do it for a discount price!!!! WOW, that is horrible for all the good owner's who bought a very devoted breed of dog...can you imagine that? I honestly would pack up and move to a different state.
My husband & I brought Darvy home in August of 2006 (A 52nd birthday present to me from my thoughtful hubby.) I 'm so in love with "puppy-girl" as I call her. She is certainly a member of our family & I would never, ever give her up. I love her so much. My only regret is that we live in a condo so she doesn't have alot of room to run around. But we take her on lots of walks. And what we lack in space, we more than make up for in LOVE.