From Homescape

As a dog lover and avid watcher of the Animal Planet show “Animal Precinct,” nothing tugs at my heart strings more then when I see an abused or neglected animal find a loving home. This morning, a friend of mine sent me an article from a community newspaper that reported that an alarming number of pets are being left behind as more families lose their homes to foreclosures.

The Associated Press has reported that shelters across the country have seen sharp increases in the number of people giving up their pets in recent months, because they have been forced out of their homes. And in some cases, realtors, police and foreclosure agents are finding increasing numbers of pets left to fend for themselves in these abandoned homes. Rescuers arriving at the properties are discovering damage on windows and doors from the animals trying to scratch and bite their way out of the home in search for food.

Nearly two million families lost their homes in foreclosure in the first 11 months of last year after falling behind on their mortgage payments. A report released this week by foreclosure research company, RealtyTrac, shows that the volume of foreclosure filings rose about 57 percent in January compared to the same month last year. Nationally, there were 233,001 foreclosure filings in January alone. Most people grappling with foreclosure are returning to rental housing or moving in with relatives — two situations where it can be difficult or impossible to bring pets, forcing the evicted families to leave them behind.

In Cincinnati last May, shortly after the foreclosure rate began to spike nationally, more than 60 cats were found in a foreclosed home. Twenty of those cats are still being fostered while awaiting a permanent home, according to Foreclosurecats.org, a group which launched art projects to help finance the cost of caring for the kitties.

But most pets are not as lucky. Shelters across the country are habitually overcrowded and underfunded, and even animals which stand a good chance of being adopted are often euthanized in order to free up much-needed space.

Due to the widespread problem across the country, the Humane Society recently launched a public-awareness campaign to offer tips on finding animal-friendly rental housing and remind people that pets are still much better off in a shelter then left abandoned in a home. Abandoning animals is illegal in most states under anticruelty laws, but the laws are not rigidly enforced.

I understand that families facing foreclosures have enough on their plate to deal with, but when a person makes a conscious decision to take in a pet, that decision comes with responsibilities. No matter what the circumstances, there is no justification for allowing an animal to starve to death in an abandoned home. 

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@homescape.com