| One of the greatest tragedies of the failed | | | | seen people walk their pets or sit outside a |
| housing market is the cost to pets and animals. | | | | market with them wearing a sign: 'I need a home' |
| And although highlighted now and again after | | | | or 'Will you take me home?' with relative success. |
| some tragic event where a pet has been left | | | | Networking with friends, neighbors and |
| behind to starve without food or water in an | | | | co-workers, or putting up signs at markets, at |
| abandoned house or chained to a tree when their | | | | your veterinarian's office, church, and on |
| family moved, it has been under reported. | | | | community boards and mailboxes are also great |
| Losing your home, often after having also lost | | | | sources, as well as contacting local rescues and no |
| your job in today's uncertain financial environment, | | | | kill shelters. Many pet sites also have message |
| can be both scary and overwhelming. People | | | | boards where you might find an adoptive parent |
| become panicked and often make rash and | | | | or a foster family for your pet, giving you more |
| unsound decisions under the pressure or go into a | | | | time to find another solution. |
| state of denial. But leaving your pet or any animal | | | | I have also seen people negotiate with new |
| behind without making arrangements for them to | | | | landlords or network to find a place that will allow |
| be taken care of could end up haunting both you | | | | their pets to move with them, even though the |
| and your family forever. A pet is a family | | | | listings originally said no. Getting a written |
| member and abandoning them, besides being | | | | reference from either a former landlord or |
| illegal, could leave permanent scars, especially on | | | | neighbors is helpful and working through a realtor |
| children. | | | | or leasing agent also usually ups your chances. |
| Often lack of planning is the greatest culprit. | | | | Remember if you are going to rent, the owner |
| Friends or family members will usually take your | | | | pays their fee, not you. |
| pets, either permanently or until you or an | | | | Be creative! I recently came across someone |
| adoptive family can take them, if you really | | | | who traded their car for an old camper by running |
| cannot or do not know where you are going or | | | | an ad in the newspaper. It gave the family and |
| cannot take them along. Running an ad in the local | | | | the pets a crowded but temporary place to live |
| paper, online, or in the neighborhood ad sheet is | | | | and stay together. We are surrounded by |
| usually free for pet ads, but people tend to want | | | | community, sometimes our greatest failing is the |
| to believe that things will get better so often wait | | | | fear or hesitance to ask for help. |
| until the last minute when they are out of time | | | | Where there is a will... there is a way, and it starts |
| and therefore often also out of options. I have | | | | with planning. |