In recession, pets go homeless in droves

[meow2u3]

Each day at five, staff members of the Humane Society of Elkhart County close the animal shelter and hold a meeting. And each day, like clockwork, they begin hearing a "thump, thump, thump" from outside.

That is the sound of pets being abandoned by owners who either do not want them or cannot care for them anymore.

Among the recent arrivals left in "drop boxes" -- kennels that are accessible through doors on the outside of the facility -- are Sweet Pea, a Chihuahua being nursed back to health from near starvation, a cocker spaniel named Cookie and a "family" of three pets left together -- a dog, a cat and rat.

These animals add to the usual traffic of strays, rabid raccoons and animals rescued from abuse. When the drop boxes are full, the Humane Society finds pets tied up at the door, or -- as was the case with a domesticated ferret -- running around in the parking lot. Recently a whole litter of kittens was left in the Humane Society dumpster.

With as many as 600 or 700 animals arriving each month -- sometimes 30 animals in a single day -- the facility, which has space for only 266, is in crisis mode.

http://kari-huus.newsvine.com/_news/2009/11/24/3538911-in-recession-pets-go-homeless-in-droves?threadId=731793&commentId=10869912#c10869912

[AndyA]

1. Sickening.

These pets wonder what the hell happened to the people who used to take care of them. They don't understand at all. I hope they all get new homes, and for the ones who don't, I hope they have a safe journey to the next stage of their lives, and that it will be a better one and a happy one for them.

Bless their little hearts, they just want to be loved.

[meow2u3]

3. Some had been kicked out of their homes and forced to move to apartments

This is my pet peeve--no pun intended. The #1 reason for pet overpopulation may be people not getting their pets altered, but a close second is ridiculous restrictions on pets in rental housing. If landlords don't ban pets outright, they punish pet parents by imposing exorbitant fees or charge pet owners extra rent non-pet parents don't have to shell out.

It's long overdue to have Congress act to ban this insidious form of housing discrimination. I volunteer at a shelter and the number of cats in the shelter are staggering. Next to cruelty/neglect, it angers me to see "moving" or "landlord issues" being the reason a pet is in the shelter instead of a permanent home.

[debbierlus]

5. This is a really good point.

Most of the people I know who had to get rid of a pet, didn't want to do it. They just couldn't find a apartment or housing they could afford that would allow pets.

[StarfarerBill]

12. Other renters should do what I do:

Simply not tell the management that they have pets. If they ever complain about mine (after seven months here, nothing yet), I'll leave along with my two cats before giving them up.

[Lorien]

2. If you have room in your home and enough love to adopt, now is the time

to do so. I adopted one myself this year, bringing the total to four. I placed two older kittens with a friend's father after giving them five baths for fleas and having them neutered, and another with a college student. There are still millions out there that need homes...and please, don't forget to spay and neuter!

[debbierlus]

4. Oh man. It kils me. We have two dogs which are are about all we can handle

I will definitely adopt from a rescue in the future. Everytime I read something like this I just go home and hug my dogs for hours.

I am going to buy a big bag of food for the local shelter.

[dana_b]

7. I have one dog from a rescue

and am thinking about getting another one but am also afraid of the restricitons that landlords place. We rent and may have to move within the next 1-2 years. I'm not too wary of the $$ but moreso just being able to find a place to live that would accept two dogs. On top of that, my current dog is part pitbull and most places won't take her.

Damn - it's sooo disturbing and sad.

[alstephenson]

6. Heartbreaking.

We have the same problems here in the Phoenix area.

[juno jones]

8. I have two rescued cats.

I wish I could take more, but we're on pretty unsteady ground as it is ourselves. But I'm resolved to keep 'em with us no matter what, I'm eyeing a 25' trailer as a solution to homelessness and it'll be tight, but I think we all can survive in something like that for awhile if we have to (done it before...).

I can't imagine having to give up my kitties especially with this crisis going on.

[tonysam]

9. I can't stand articles like this

I would go homeless before my dogs ever would. That's how much they mean to me.

[Xenotime]

13. This is so sad..

:cry:

[derby378]

10. I think we adopted one of those newly-homeless cats last year

I don't know if Banjo was simply abandoned or if her caretaker became homeless, but we're providing a good home for her now.

[EFerrari]

11. I'm in San Jose and still looking for a used trap for $25

to try to scoop up the cats being dumped up here in the foothills. If anyone has a line on one, please PM me.

[Individualist]

14. I adopted two rescue cats in April.

Wish I could have gotten more.

[mrs premise]

15. We lost 2...

My wonderful cat of 16 years died in June, so my husband and I went to the shelter (a no kill one, who will then go to the kill shelter after every adoption and rescue a pet on death row) and adopted our wonderful Dexter. Than, last month our wonderful dog died after a long illness and going blind. It was right back to the shelter to rescue another one. We have a sweet little Piper now. I do not miss my others any less, but it helps me to think that it allowed us to help some others. And, I know that my 2 kids are looking down and are glad that others are getting all the love and pets and kisses that they can no longer get. We are fighting for our house now, as it had gone into default, but we will never give up our kids no matter what.