Alternatives to Abandoning Your Pet When Facing Foreclosure or Eviction

March 21st, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Pets & People

I was recently interviewed for this article in Our Companions News, available online, about the increase in pets abandoned due to the economy, foreclosure or eviction.

Many people want to keep their pets but either because they don’t think they have a choice or they wait until the last minute, pets are left at vacant homes or dropped off in the middle of the night at shelters (my dog, Willy, was tied to the dumpster at a local shelter and was luckier than some). These pets face very uncertain futures - especially older pets or certain dog breeds such as pitbulls.

This article is for pet owners who need to find a new home that will include their pet. But it’s also for Realtors with clients going through a short sale or foreclosure, landlords who may want to reconsider their pet-policy or anyone who comes into contact with people in financial trouble who have pets.

From the recent Our Companions News,

‘The impact of the current economic crisis and the rise in home foreclosures has led to an increase in abandoned pets left on the streets and doorsteps of shelters across the country. Overburdened shelters are turning pet owners away at the door, as they are already unable to manage the influx of homeless animals. Desperate pet owners, suddenly unable to handle the financial responsibility for their pets, or forced to move out of their homes and are unable to take their pets with them, seemingly have nowhere to turn. As a result, people are leaving their beloved pets behind in vacated properties or depositing them in the streets to fend for themselves.

Called “foreclosure pets,” this new wave of abandoned pets is most likely to impact cats, who are often viewed as more disposable than dogs. In some extreme cases pets are found in the home, long after the owners have left, in conditions too severe to mention. But most often, cats are simply left on streets to find food and shelter on their own.

Homeowners or tenants facing eviction often don’t want to face reality and may wait until the last minute to worry about their pets. Our Companions’ Animal Helpline volunteers, on the front lines of this trend, have been seeing an increase in calls for assistance where the need is economy related. “We’re getting more calls from people facing eviction due to foreclosure than ever before. Most often, the need is urgent. We want to help pet owners but we need time to help them,” says Susan Linker, CEO of Our Companions.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, moving or no-pet landlord policies have always been among the top three reasons people give for abandoning their pets.

And when you have an economic and housing crisis affecting more and more people, the need for assistance only increases. But it doesn’t have to be this heart-wrenching.

Alternatives to Pet Abandonment

Pet owners are not without alternatives to abandonment. Although it takes more effort, finding a new home that will accept your pet will ensure that he/she has a loving home in the future. Planning ahead and having a positive approach can produce an outcome that works for everyone. There are various resources within most states to help people find rental housing that is advertised to be pet-friendly, where landlords either accept all or some types of pets. We’ve enclosed a list of resources at the end of this article to assist you.

In addition to these resources, there are also constructive ways to make contact with landlords who might not openly advertise a pets-allowed policy. While some landlords completely forbid or restrict pets and will place their pet policy in their advertising, many others would gladly rent to
responsible pet owners who are good tenants if they are asked and presented with a good reason to do so.’