Caring for your Pets while in Debt

The economic downturn and mortgage crisis have done bad things to many Americans. But some of the worst sufferers hobble around on four legs.

As the economy has sunk, the country has experienced a tremendous wave of abandoned cats, dogs, and other animals. Family pets are being left behind by people who can no longer afford to care for them.  The term “foreclosure pets” has entered the language to describe pets that individuals or families leave behind in abandoned homes. The numbers are large enough that some animal shelters across the country are having a hard time dealing with the overflow. 

Take the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility in Chula Visa, Calif. The shelter, which had 8,000 animals placed in its care in 2008, expects a 20 percent increase this year.  According to a city publication, nearly 16,000 animals were euthanized in San Diego County in 2008 because of the overflow at local shelters.

While these shelters are adding pets, they also feel the pinch of the economy. The explosion of abandoned pets creates financial pressures on city shelters like Chula Vista’s at a time when the economy is putting brakes on the budget. 

“People losing their homes to foreclosure or losing their jobs may decide to leave their pets behind or turn them over to the shelter,” said Deputy City Manager Leah Browder. “Others can’t afford the medical care for an animal with a skin condition or showing signs of illness. It is terribly unfortunate, but pets are being abandoned at an alarming rate.”

The city of Newnan, Georgia, in suburban Atlanta, urged its citizens not to abandon their pets if they were forced to leave their home. The city gives several pointers on what to do to keep pets safe and cared for:

• See if friends, family and neighbors can take care of your pet temporarily until you are back on your feet. Agree to a specific time period and check on your pet regularly.
• Make sure pets are allowed before you move to a rental.
• Contact an animal shelter before leaving a pet there, because they have limits on the number of pets they can care for. Provide any information that can help the shelter find a new home.

If you are in debt, and having difficulty dedicating the money to care for your animal, here are a few tips, courtesy of www.stretcher.com:

• Look for low-cost services at veterinary schools.
• Keep an eye out for low-cost veterinary clinics and other veterinary specials at animal shelters and pet stores.
• Head for a small-town vet to save on cost.
• Buy pet food in bulk.

These steps should help you care for your pet as you work through hard economic times. Whatever you do, try to do right by your pet.