Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Sad

We were watching the news last night, which doesn't happen that often since I kind of forget to keep up with what's going on in the world and tend to get my news from yahoo's home page, and the saddest story came on about the effect that home foreclosures have on dogs and cats.
Here in Bakersfield and in lots and lots of other cities across the country, people are losing their homes to foreclosures because of the 'creative financing' that got them those homes in the first place. People who bought new homes recently are living in neighborhoods with half finished abandoned houses all around them and have bought a home that is currently worth about half the price that they paid for said home. I've never thought about what happens to the family dog or cat when these people have to find alternative housing-moving in with relatives or finding a rental-where the family pets are not welcome.

These family pets are being abandoned at the foreclosed upon home.

Keith was telling me about a realtor that went to a foreclosed upon house and found a mama dog and her four puppies that were just left in the back yard-no food, no water. She gave the dogs some water and had to call animal control to come pick up those dogs and take them to the pound where they will unfortunately end up being put down. According to the news story, this is becoming a huge problem in a city that already has a huge problem with stray animals. People are just moving out and leaving their pets behind-in the back yard and in some cases even inside the house.

Why don't these people take the animals to the pound or the spca where they might have a chance at being adopted or at the very least will be put down rather than starving to death? The spca here in town is packed with animals and just can't take any more, and unless you are bringing in a stray or lie about the animal not being yours, there is a fee to drop your animal at the pound. People whose houses are being foreclosed upon probably don't have the extra money to pay the pound fees, so they just leave the animals behind.

We've often wondered what we would do with all of our cats should something like this happen to us where we just couldn't take care of them anymore-whether due to having to move out of our house, or losing a job, or sickness, or death, and it is kind of heartbreaking to think of having to find a place for them or have to take them to the pound. I just don't know what we would do, but leaving them to fend for themselves is just out of the question.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You know, i've heard of this as well and it is really sad. I hadn't thought of it either until I heard of it on the news, and it just makes me want to run out and adopt another animal, but we have 3 already in an 826 sq ft house... we just don't have any more room.

But, I do vow to always adopt. My last two dogs have been adopted and when it's time for another, i'll adopt again.

It's just sad to me that peoples lives are being turned upside down like this... pets are family to me, and for people to feel like they have no choice, not only to leave their homes and their lives behind, but their pets too...
gosh.
I am lost for words.