As the foreclosure crisis continues, pets are losing their homes and their families as cash-strapped humans can no longer afford to care for their dogs and cats.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
With the arrival of spring and a deepening recession, shelters already bulging with pets that have lost their humans and homes through foreclosure now have the added strain of new litters of puppies and kittens.
Euthanization figures at shelters in two of metro Atlanta’s largest counties are proof they have reached their limit.
“This,” said animal rescuer Stacey Hall, “is as bad as I’ve ever seen it.”
Bad all over, too. A national organization that charts animal issues reports that across the country shelters have overflowing inventories. Adding to rescue societies’ problems: the escalating price of gas continues to cut into their budgets.
Chicagoland’s Southtown Star recently wrote about the South Suburban Humane Society, which provides free pet food to needy owners fourth Thursday of each month. They’ve added the second Thursday of each month due to increased demand.
“We used to hand out food from noon to about 3:30 (p.m.), until supplies were gone,” said Emily Gruszka, executive director of the Chicago Heights facility. “But the last two months, we’ve opened up to find 10 to 15 people already waiting in line. And we’ve had to close by 12:30 (p.m.) because we’d run out of food already.”
Gruszka says that with energy prices and the economy in the state that they are, people consider pets and the $1,000 or so they cost per year, to be a luxury. “Few families can look at the economy now and think, ‘I have an extra $1,000 to spend,’ ” she said.
Need for donated pet food rising [Southtown Star]
Dogs, cats feel the bite of home foreclosures [A J-C](Thanks, j!)
(Photo: Bob Andres)
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I happened to be at our local Humane society last weekend and noticed a much larger-than-normal number of “owner turn-ins” (as opposed to strays). I wondered whether it was related to the economy and sadly concluded that it must. I can’t imagine ever abandoning my own furry family members (who we adopted from the same humane society), but I imagine that it must have been a heart-wrenching decision for many of them.
I KNOW there have got to be a lot of heartbreaking stories and owners who couldn’t avoid giving up beloved pets. My snarky little ticker goes out to them sincerely.
That said, I can imagine there are tons of lard loads who rather keep themselves overfed than spare a bit of change for their pets.
And don’t even get me started on the recent New Jersey case of a scum bag police dispatcher who left his 50 plus pets LOCKED in cages where they starved to death in his foreclosed home.
I don’t even follow the case anymore but hope every rabid animal rescue freak gives him his due.
When my Mom recently had a stroke I found homes for all her pets. I even paid to get them all spayed/neutered and rehomed. I went broke for a bit just to assure their comfort.
@mynameisnate: That’s funny because in India there are tons of monkeys chained by their necks to temples and stray dogs roaming the streets that are harassed by kids 24/7. They do take care of their cows though.
@Bladefist: & @alphafemale: +1. Our dog, the adorable Siberian Husky we name Tonka, is our son. Some folks say that as a joke, but I mean it; we treat Tonka like our young(ish) child. (He’s nine, but still acts like a puppy.) I would pick him over a mortgage payment any day of the week.
I am lucky enough to be doing well enough to take care of him as if he were a human, which I think is a key of pet ownership. Tonka always eats his dinner at the same time as us; heck, sometimes before us. Little things that puts him on the same level as us. And, yay, he was a personal rescue!
@BlondeGrlz: “I learned it’s owners had moved away.”
I got my second cat that way. He was front declawed and they put him outside to fend for himself and MOVED. He lost an eye. And I can’t imagine what kind of sociopaths these people must be because he is seriously the SWEETEST cat I have ever known. I’ve owned cuddlier cats and funnier cats, but never one nearly as sweet. Whenever he has to go to the vet, the entire office has to come in to say hi to him because he made so many friends when he had to stay there a few days.
Although when we drove 17 hours cross-country to move and he yowled the ENTIRE WAY, I did briefly consider strapping him to the roof of the car.
During the Great Depression, people abandoned their children or put them up for adoption when they couldn’t afford to take care of them. Not only did it cause unnecessary hardship, the orphanages were overrun and often couldn’t afford to take care of kids because the depression cut their donations.
How far away are we now from dumping pets to dumping kids?
Anyone who “dumps” their pet is a sick, sick person. If I ever catch anyone doing it, I will “dump” a baseball bat upside their head, numerous times, until they have possibly been “put to sleep”. I don’t care how dire your financial situation is, you don’t just toss a living creature to the curb. And how is it better to take it to an overflowing shelter, where they are just going to kill it. That makes me sad and angry at the same time. If I all the sudden found myself homeless, my two cats would be coming with me, until I could find a suitable home for them. I don’t care, to me, my pets are the same thing as children, I love them and would never “get rid of them”. Fuck that, this makes me upset.
I agree with all of the pro-pet rants here. I sincerely do.
~But~
I think a lot of the “pets aren’t important” antipathy is coming from those who recognize that many humans also do without food, housing, medical care, etc.
Obviously it is not a contest and no animal should be made to suffer needlessly, but the fact remains that in the majority of the world animals, domesticated or not, may be viewed with affection but never as priorities to compete with, say, one’s house.
I love my cat, who’s almost as old as I am, and my beagle, despite the fact that she fails at the one thing a dog is supposed to do (bark). If I were to be evicted I’d do my utmost to find them homes. But seriously – have you met homeless/couch-surfing people lately? Can you imagine them caring for animals? Sometimes there’s just nobody, not even a shelter, to pass the critters off to.
Extremely sad stuff. But without a home? Try keeping kitty in a plastic grocery bag.
Sad, sad, sad.
@Bladefist: amen.
I have 2 cats, but I feel the same way.
Pet costs can hit $1000 a year if you have a pet with allergies. My little guy has food allergies and breaks out in a horrible rash called eosinophilic plaque on his legs (ugly weeping sores that he keeps licking until they bleed — it’s horrible).
The only food he can eat is Nutro & Max Cat because they’re natural, and they’re between $7 and $10 a bag. We also use use a wheat-based cat litter at $8 a box. And you know what? If the time came that I had to choose between buying something for me or taking care of him — I’d do without. I made the choice to live with a cat, and it’s my responsibilty to care for him, just like it would be my responsibility to care for a child.
IF I lost my home, job and everything. And ended up living in a extended stay motel in the bad part of town. I WOULD STILL HAVE MY CATS!
“Sorry kids we have to take fluffy to the pound and have her put down. We can’t afford the $7.00 a month for a 25 pounds of dry food at walmart.”
But lets stop at starbucks on the way and get some lattes….
I swear some people…
See, this is why we don’t have pets. It’s not about the money. It’s about the fact that they are a huge responsibility, and I don’t need more huge responsibilities than I already have. I’m sure we’d love to have, for instance, a companion rabbit, but I just don’t think I’m up to caring for one.
Anyone who purchased their pet from a REPUTABLE breeder signed a contract to return the dog to the breeder in the event that the owner can no longer provide its care. Anyone who adopted a pet from a shelter signed the same contract. People tend to forget this.
@theysaidwhat: But I’m not sure shelters would honor that agreement right now. Shelters right now are overfilled. The Humane Society for Greater Nashua kicked staffers out of their offices because they were running out of room for the animals.
I guess in some localities there’s the local animal control, of course they destroy animals in 2 weeks or so if not adopted in time.
@sponica: The shelters are definitely in crisis. Atlanta was one of the worst in the nation when I lived there a few years ago. They were destroying 1 M animals annually. I think Atlanta has privatized its shelter system now.
People who are considering giving up their animal should also consider breed rescues groups. They will often place mixes if your dog has visible traits of the breed they rescue. They are no doubt overwhelmed too, but it’s worth a shot.
I’ve been considering adopting a kitty since I got my new better-paying job. Now this makes me want to adopt one even more
@unravel: *Applause* Pet-friendly rentals (especially affordable ones) can be HARD to find, especially if you live in a college town. After I graduated from college, I ended up moving about 15 miles out (in the opposite direction from which my job was) to a tiny little podunk town, because the apartment complex there was the only one I could afford that would let me have my cats. Luckily, gas was cheap back then … if it cost what it did today, I would have been in dire straits.
@theysaidwhat: Two weeks is actually a lot of time for some animal controls, too. And some don’t euthanize the pets they can’t adopt — they sell them for research. There was a huge uproar in my county a few years back over our animal control doing just that. In one particularly sad case, a man found a puppy but couldn’t keep it. He asked them to please let him know if they couldn’t find a home for it, as he would take it and try to figure something out. He later discovered the puppy had not been adopted, not euthanized, but sold to a class B dealer
@Erwos: If you do ever get a rabbit, make sure you get at least two. Rabbits live in communities and have better mental health when there’s another rabbit around.
@theysaidwhat: Unfortunately, very few people purchase their pet from a reputable breeder, and the people who did are probably the people least likely to give their pet up because they’re going through hard times.
All too many people get their pets from Joe Blow down the street, who bred his lab to his brother’s lab and decided to make a few bucks off the puppies. Good luck getting HIM to take your puppy back if you can no longer afford kibble.
Plus, a lot of people take in stray animals or friends’ or family members’ unwanted pets. There’s not usually a “return” option there, either.
@katylostherart: I put down $250 pet deposit on my apartment, and I have a montly pet rent of $35. Our complex charges $300 deposit for small dogs, and $500 for large dogs. The only dogs that are not permitted are the ones considered to be dangerous.
It’s a small price to pay to keep members of my family.
@Balisong: Good point. Then again, knowing my wife, we’d wind up with four of them or something.
My coworker Courtney got rejected when she tried to adopt a dog from them. It’s a sad commentary on your life when I dog is deemed better off dead than living with you
@sean77: That’s ’cause the gub-mint will reward -er, assist you for each one you have, if you can’t afford ‘em!
@Sanveannalphafemale: There’s nothing more fun than baiting eager-to-be-offended internet people. Isn’t it odd how my phrasing was exactly the same as ahwannabe’s earlier comment?
*insert eyeroll here hurr*
@battra92:
Tell that to my gimp, you insensitive troll.
@AtomicPlayboy: I always worry about what I would do with my dear Scum should the worst happen. Are there any nonprofits that will take in gimps?
I’m amazed that the universe hasn’t imploded because 99% of consumerist finds itself in agreement with Bladefist. I guess I’ll just have to add my straw to the camel’s back though and hope for the best.
Why is it that people think animals are inherently inferior to humans? I suppose if I had to choose between an animal’s life and a human’s, I would choose a human, but only reluctantly. As far as I’m concerned, life is life. Maybe an animal’s not as intelligent as a human, but I’ve never seen an animal lie, cheat, or steal (steal maybe, but not maliciously). Yes I admit my hypocrisy in eating meat, but I do have sympathy.
By the way people, if you want high quality pet food, avoid Science Diet. It’s overpriced garbage, and vets recommend it because the company gives them discounts. A neighbor of mine, who bred show dogs before retiring, clued me in on this.
It breaks my heart to read this story. I wish I could adopt a dog, but I’m not at home enough right now to take care of one properly. I’d rather admit that and not have a dog than try to cook up some fantasy.
@samurailynn:
ouch! not meaning this as a lecture, as I would have said the exact same thing as you a few days ago…before that baby bat managed to get into my apartment while I was at work where my kitty who was just a teeny bit behind on her vaccinations could play with it. their immunity doesn’t magically evaporate at the year mark, but I’m fortunate to have a vet who got animal control to agree not to fine me for having a cat without a current rabies certificate.
@SomeoneElseNotMe: ouch, I feel your pain on the eosinophilic plaques. Mine got them on her abdomen because of black mold issues in the house I was renting. I looked at those vetderm bills and thought “boy, am I ever in the wrong line of work.”
@DashTheHand:
And don’t forget that dogs are omnivores and can share your left-overs if you make sure they get their protein and vitamins. I wouldn’t recommend going all out, unless you’re literally going to make your own kibble, but instead cutting back on the kibble (generic term for pet food) and mix in some human food. This is not perfect, you’ll have more poop to clean up but it’ll cut back on the kibble bills.
@failurate: Yes, truly disturbing.
@Bladefist: EXACTLY!
I have several cats–got a new job last June (after 5 months of unemployment) and in July I had a sick cat ($700 in vet fees). Cat #2 got sick in August (spent on both, about $1,000). Cat #3 died suddenly ($100). In total, the months I spent on vet care: July, August, September, October, November, nothing in December or January–sudden return of illness in February–$1800–so basically I spent about $6,000 in vet care for my cats. I gave up coffee, clothes, eating out, shopping, etc. etc., all while my daughter went through senior year (high school) expenses did I mention I’m a single parent?). I’d do it again, in a heartbeat. . When you commit to the care of an animal, like a child, it’s for life. Anything less, don’t do it. My cats are part and parcel of my family. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
People who treat animals as if they are disposable sicken me.
If you can’t afford to feed and take care of your pets, don’t ever get one.