Pets abandoned in foreclosed homes

By Steffi Broski
CNS Staff Writer

Many Americans who have lost their homes to foreclosure leave more than broken dreams when they move out – Fido and Fluffy often stay behind too.

The more fortunate dogs and cats are dropped off at overflowing shelters, and rescue groups are faced with countless homeless pets.

“It’s not that pet owners want to get rid of their animals, but people are losing their jobs and homes. There are countless animals that are given to organizations and shelters,” said Laurie Rich, board member of the Folsom Feline Rescue. “I hope the economy improves fast, not just for you and me, but the animals.”

The pet advocacy group Lost Our Home calls it a “nationwide epidemic.”

“What really baffles me is that the whole foreclosure process takes four to nine months, it’s not like it comes as a surprise,” said Tina Eacret, board secretary and fundraising chair of Lost Our Home, a volunteer organization founded by Phoenix, Ariz. realtors distressed by the rising number of pets deserted in homes and backyards. The group works to locate abandoned animals and find them new homes.

“If people don’t give their pets to a shelter, they just starve to death in an empty house,” Eacret said.

With thousands of foreclosures in Sacramento County, it is now “pretty common” to find abandoned animals here, said Alexis Raymond, secretary of the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition.

“We have about 270 people, most of them rescuers, subscribed to an email list. They can post emails such as ‘an animal has been left behind, can anybody take a cat?’” Raymond said. “We have seen a big increase in those types of emails in the last one and a half years.”

Raymond’s advice to pet owners is to plan ahead. It is important to make your pet look like a good tenant to the new landlord, she said. A “good dog resume” includes proof of shots and references from previous landlords. If owners know it will be impossible to keep their pet, they should ask family and friends if they are able to foster or adopt their animal.

Cathryn Rakich, board member for Happy Tails, a Sacramento area no-kill pet shelter, said it is “traumatic” for pets, especially cats, to move from a loving home to a shelter. But a shelter is better than leaving pets behind. Eacret said they often find dead cats in abandoned houses because they are quiet; dogs typically bark to alert neighbors if they are abandoned.

Rakich said all rescue groups in the Sacramento area work closely together, and even if one rescue group can’t help a certain pet owner, another one might be able to.

Folsom Feline Rescue is not accepting any animals now after “having had tons of returns last year,” said Janet Bennett, who founded the group nine years ago with her husband John. Many adult cats that had already been adopted were dropped off again, and now the organization is more desperate than ever to find people to adopt the pets or foster families who are willing to give them a temporary home.

Theresa Pratt, pet sitter for Folsom Feline Rescue, has four rescued cats and urges everyone to not give up on their pet too soon. Many groups try hard to find ways to assist, Pratt said.

“There are a lot of good people out there, a lot of animal lovers that can help,” Pratt said.

Rich said even if many rescue groups cannot take anymore animals right now, they can offer free pet food or negotiate with a new landlord. But most charities are faced with a serious decline in donations while the need is larger than ever.

Still, the Folsom Feline Rescue is relentless in their efforts to help pet owners in need. Rich said people should not feel shame when they can’t care for their pet anymore.

“We are not judgmental about that,” said Rich. “We have a commitment and the commitment is to find Fido a home.”

Folsom Feline Rescue can be contacted at 916.365.4900 or visit www.folsomfelines.org for more information. Visit www.lostourhome.org for more information. Send an email to contact@sacanimal.org to the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition for more information or visit www.sacanimal.org. Contact Happy Tails at www.happytails.org.