| One cannot overstate the undeniable misery that | | | | pets no less disposable than a worn-out armchair. |
| comes with losing a home to foreclosure. The | | | | Ironically, another issue, that adds to the problem |
| sacrifices and the stressful decisions one must | | | | is the increasing number of animal rescue shelters, |
| make, will weigh heavily on those who find | | | | that are also facing foreclosure. Many of these |
| themselves in the unenviable position of having to | | | | voluntarily run organizations, being reliant on |
| say goodbye to their dream home. | | | | donations for their continued upkeep, are |
| But a growing, and distinctly unpleasant, | | | | struggling to survive in a troubled economic |
| side-effect of this social calamity has emerged in | | | | environment. Those shelters that still manage to |
| recent years. It seems that more and more | | | | operate, are at full capacity with an increasing |
| people are moving away from their homes, and | | | | number of emaciated and neglected creatures |
| abandoning the family pets in the process. | | | | arriving continually. And with many people cutting |
| Countless cats, dogs and exotic animals are simply | | | | back on non-essential expenditure, new pets are |
| being left behind in empty properties, ostensibly to | | | | not high on the list of priorities, resulting in fewer |
| perish, without food or water. And while the | | | | animals being re-housed. |
| human cost of foreclosure must be incredible, it | | | | Some misguided owners are releasing their pets |
| seems remarkable that people can be so callous | | | | into the countryside, or even the local |
| as to ignore the welfare of a once-loved pet. | | | | neighborhood, to 'fend for themselves'. Domestic |
| Unfortunately, the cost of keeping a pet may well | | | | animals with little, or no, experience of surviving |
| be outside the scope of someone who has | | | | without human help can die a long and miserable |
| recently lost a home, and many apartments and | | | | death, or become nuisance animals, decimating |
| rental homes forbid tenants to bring cats or dogs. | | | | local wildlife or scavenging from garbage bins. |
| There are, of course, many people who will try to | | | | While the tragedy of home foreclosures is |
| re-house a cherished animal, or at the very least | | | | ultimately a human issue, and we should not |
| take it an established shelter. However, not all | | | | forget about the many people who have |
| owners are quite so compassionate. Literally | | | | unfortunately fallen foul of circumstance, we |
| thousands of pets have been discovered, in | | | | should also bear in mind the plight of abandoned |
| appalling conditions, over the past couple of years, | | | | pets. After all, the victims of this highly emotive |
| as the number of foreclosures has escalated. It | | | | and sad offshoot of the financial crisis, have no |
| seems that some animal owners consider their | | | | voice of their own. |