[News] Victims of the Nations Mortgage Crisis

[flgurl69]

Foreclosures Lead to Abandoned Animals
2008-01-29 18:06:59
By EVELYN NIEVES Associated Press Writer



STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — The house was ravaged — its floors ripped, walls busted and lights smashed by owners who trashed their home before a bank foreclosed on it. Hidden in the wreckage was an abandoned member of the family: a starving pit bull.

The dog found by workers was too far gone to save — another example of how pets are becoming the newest victims of the nation's mortgage crisis as homeowners leave animals behind when they can no longer afford their property.

Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County in northern California. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."

In one such colony in Modesto, two obviously tame cats watched alone from a distance as a group of feral cats devoured a pile of dry food Jennings offered.

"These are obviously abandoned cats," Jennings said. "They're not afraid of people, and they stay away from the feral cats because they're ostracized by them."

The abandoned pets are overwhelming animal shelters and drawing fury from bloggers, especially as photos of emaciated animals circulate on the Internet.

The first people to enter an abandoned house, such as property inspectors and real estate brokers, have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits and lizards in children's bedrooms.

No one keeps track of the numbers of abandoned pets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that forsaken animals are becoming a problem wherever foreclosures are climbing. Stockton and Modesto have some of the nation's highest foreclosure rates.

Despite months of warning before a foreclosure, many desperate homeowners run out the clock hoping to forestall an eviction. Then they panic, particularly if they are moving to a home where pets are not permitted.

The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society urged home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter.

Shelters are trying to keep up, but the spike in abandoned pets comes at a time when fewer people are adopting animals. Home sales are plunging to their lowest level in decades, and new homeowners are often the most likely to seek a pet.

Even people who are buying homes are not adopting pets.

"People are not bringing home puppies because times are tough, and animals cost money," said Sharon Silbert, president of Animal Rescue of Tracy, a community near Stockton.

The mortgage crisis showed few signs of easing Tuesday after a real estate tracking company announced that many homeowners started to fall behind on mortgage payments in the last three months, setting the stage for more foreclosures this year.

The San Joaquin Animal Shelter in Stockton is fielding more desperate calls from animal owners about to be evicted. Many call as a last resort after being turned down by various rescue groups with no room for more animals.

"They're usually breaking down on the phone," said Kathy Potter, a shelter dispatcher. "I'm quite direct with them that there's a 50-50 chance the animals might be put down."

Still, shelter operators say, half a chance is better than none.

"They may be euthanized at a shelter," said Stephanie Shain of the Humane Society of the United States. "But they'll be fed and have water and have a humane euthanization, as opposed to spending the last days of their lives eating carpet or wallboard."

Bloggers are furious with the "foreclosure pet" phenomenon, especially after seeing photos of emaciated animals on the Internet. Some critics say the pet owners have already proved they are irresponsible by buying houses they could not afford or mortgages they did not bother to understand.

"They see a pet as property, no different than a worn sofa tossed into the alley when the springs pop," says a posting about foreclosure pets on About.com.

The problem is exacerbated because 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.

"What we've always known is that when times are hard for people, they're hard for their pets," said Stephen Zawistowski, a vice president at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Abandoning animals is illegal in most states under anti-cruelty laws, but the laws are not rigidly enforced.

In Stockton, shelter workers recently reunited a family with two rottweilers they had left behind in their foreclosed house. The family was staying in a homeless shelter, the dogs being cared for by neighbors at the family's behest. Shelter workers were able to find housing for the family and their dogs.

But happy endings elude a majority of foreclosure animals.

"Their best shot is for the owners to plan ahead some," Jennings said. "But they didn't plan when they bought their house. I don't see that happening anytime soon."

[yorkiesmiles]

how sad!! I had no idea this was going on. The foreclosure problem isn't that bad here in Iowa - matter of fact the home sale problems haven't been that bad here. While I watch a lot of national news, I had never thought about the owners of pets --it's just that everybody I know treats their animals like children

[I Love Bailey]

I am so sickened by reading this.
When are the laws going to be enforced and changed to protect the innocents?
My heart is breaking and I have tears rolling down my face.

I know by myself I cannot save them all but if not me and not you, then who else is going to do it?

Animal Abuse is on the rise and it will get worse as the economy weakens.
Abuse of any kind is hard to stomach, it is hard to read about and even harder to see in print and in the media but nothing will change until a majority of the population does something to help make changes.

Writing letters to your congressmen, voluntering at a local shelter, buying animal free/ test free products, educating others about puppymills and not buying anything from pet stores that sell cats & dogs are all ways to make a difference. A small step will make a big difference.

[mojo]

I really dont understand. My dogs are my children and I would NEVER do that. I would go without and do whatever I needed to do to make sure they are taken care of.

[JSHealdsburg]

Victims of the Nations Mortgage Crisis <---??? I disagree with this title. It passes blame to an "issue" not an irresponsible owner. The title should be: Innocent Victims of Irresponsible Pet Owners. Period. How many of us would leave our child in a home to starve if we lost our mortgage?

I agree with the person that said that people who would do this to a family pet, think of their pet as little more than a disposable old sofa.

[tjdmom]

Originally Posted by JSHealdsburg

Victims of the Nations Mortgage Crisis <---??? I disagree with this title. It passes blame to an "issue" not an irresponsible owner. The title should be: Innocent Victims of Irresponsible Pet Owners. Period. How many of us would leave our child in a home to starve if we lost our mortgage?

I agree with the person that said that people who would do this to a family pet, think of their pet as little more than a disposable old sofa.

I agree 100%. Some people are just ridiculous and then to blame it on the mortgage crisis. Come on people. That's just a convenient excuse to once again not take responsibility which I believe is the real problem we face today. People don't want to take responsibility for their actions, they are always looking for someone else to blame. Well. I'll get off my soapbox now.

[sweetie3]

Its really sad I am in the process of buying my first home and I know its hard.Where I live now dogs are not allowed even my 31/2lb dog but he is quiet and its working right now,but I know I want my own home and then I won't have to worry about being caught.I would move because giving him up is not an option but many people with children who didn't plan for hard times really have no option but they should really at least take them to a shelter. I feel so bad for the families that have been forced to re-home a loved pet.

[cindy0721]

i know this was in our paper.. people abandoning thier pets... how cruel

[Buddy-licious]

This is all so sad. There was something in my local paper in Charlotte, NC about this. They had a picture of the poor doggie that was left behind. How could people do this?????
http://www.wsoctv.com/specialreports...47/detail.html

[Tiger's Mom]

that is soooo sad . . .

[KathyinCali]

These threads break my heart - and make me so angry at the same time

[ARCHIE]

It breaks my heart to think soooooooooo many people in our country
are so heartless. It's scary really. I am sure if they could, some would
leave their kids behind if they thought they could get away with it!

[MIZBROWN]

Well... it is horrible that this is happening...but I cant say that Im completely angry at these homeowners either... Its so easy to judge these people like they are horrible monsters, but did anyone ever think about how bad they felt leaving their animals ??? I mean, these folks were trying to live "the american dream" of owning a home, having a family and a couple pets too. Who knew that our government & economy would take these folks dreams and squash em'... Just as quickly as some of these people got it, they lost it even faster. No one can forsee that ?!? A housewife trying to take care of her family probably didnt know that her husband would loose his job and not be able to find other employment for months and months?!? They probably didnt think their car would get repo'd, their util's would get cut off or that they'd have to find a place to live in 30 dys (sometimes less) after being evicted.... Then to make matters worse the ONLY place they could find to live was one that doesnt allow pets or requires an ADDITIONAL $500-1000 deposit (which they already dont have) for them to keep their pet, because not everyone has family/friends they can stay with in an emergency and not everyone has the cusion of a nice savings account. And lets not forget their children that need to be schooled, clothed and feed... Then they are faced with leaving the animal or taking it to a shelter, which is not a sanctuary... I mean, if a shelter cant place an animal... we all knows what happens, right???

I wont deny that the WAY some of these animals were left are down right cruel and its definately a problem I love my pup and have wanted her for over 10 yrs..... so, I have that mental preperation to have back up plans in place for her if anything was to ever happen to me or my living situation. But not everyone thinks that way... Not everyone has access to sites like this and others that enlighten us about what animal abuse is, cruelty, endangerment and so much other information. I can be honest to say that half of the things I've learned about dogs have been from this site. So we cant fault people for being uninformed or mideducated or living in areas where they thought a certain treatment to an animal was normal. I really think that some of these people think they're doing the animals favors leaving them (thinking the next person in the home might take em), rather than taking them to a shelter where they have more potential of being killed anyway....

As I age... Im learning to "understand" the problems and not just "judge" them based off my opinion. This mortgage thing is NATIONWIDE.... There's no way ALL of those people can be horrible, cruel monsters... We have a serious problem people... and its a problem that starts with our own government..... JMO

[yorkiesmiles]

well, I'm sorry, but I do not agree with all that you just posted. Too many of these people bought way too much house for their income to begin with. They let realtors & mortgage folks talk them into these huge mortgages. Or they've had cases of "Keeping Up with the Joneses" - yes, I realize that the economy has problems, but the bigger problem is how many people constantly live beyond their means. Don't save and take a lot for granted.

I'm sorry so many people are loosing their jobs. That is really sad, but none of this gives anyone an excuse to dump or abandon an animal.

[Jeri Cunningham]

I know even if I lost my house I would keep my pets with me even it if meant living on the streets with them. I really cannot understand or have sympanthy for a pet owner that would leave their dog in an abandoned house.

I mean at this point they can't afford their kids either if they have them so why not leave them too!!

They need to be more responcible with their pets - bottom line they should be arrested for neglect.