Foreclosures Dangerous for Pets

Household pets are feeling the sting of foreclosure, too, as families move out and leave their furry friends behind.

Writer Louis Sabin once said, "No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich." Unfortunately, that type of wealth doesn't seem to be an option for families facing foreclosure.

Foreclosure's for the dogs

Around the country, foreclosure families are moving out and leaving their pets behind. In the best scenarios, those pets are dropped off at local shelters. In other cases, domesticated birds, cats, and dogs are left at the home to fend for themselves.

A story appearing in The Boston Globe details the affects of the mortgage crisis on Beantown's local shelters. In a three-month span, the Animal Rescue League of Boston received about 30 animals from foreclosed households alone. The Brockton MSPCA Shelter received about six foreclosure animals in three weeks. And the Worcester Animal Rescue League has begun addressing increased animal drop-offs with a new policy: foreclosed owners can leave their pets at the shelter free of charge for 90 days while they look for pet-friendly housing.

Shelters are being forced to deal with the practical and emotional aspects of the foreclosure problem. On the practical side, they have to find room for an increasing number of animals. Emotionally speaking, shelter staffers have to watch teary pet owners say their goodbyes. Once the owners are gone, the pets often demonstrate signs of confusion or depression, as well.

The Chicago Tribune published a more disturbing take on the topic-foreclosed homeowners who are abandoning large numbers of pets on one property. Cases cited include an Ohio household that left behind 20 birds and three dogs, and an Oklahoma farm owner who abandoned two dozen horses. Even more infuriating, a Pennsylvania homeowner locked her 21 Great Danes in outbuildings before she left her foreclosed property. None of the dogs survived.

Humane Society and animal lovers take action

The problem of foreclosure-related abandoned pets has become so severe that the Humane Society of the United States has set up a fund to ease the financial burden on rescue centers. Many shelters continue accepting animals even after they're well beyond the facility's recommended capacity. This practice keeps the animals from being turned loose on the streets, but it also makes it more difficult for shelter staff to provide the level of care the animals deserve. The Foreclosure Pets Grant Fund addresses this issue by providing grants to shelters, rescue groups, and animal control agencies in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,000. Donations to the fund are tax-deductible for consumers.

Activists and bloggers around the country are calling for action, asking pet enthusiasts to donate money, time, and pet food to shelters and rescue groups. If at all possible, concerned pet lovers should consider adopting a pet and giving it a loving home. An adoption may not provide any economic compensation, but the emotional rewards are too great to measure.