Foreclosure Pets
Urban Hiker
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Foreclosure Pets
Dogs, cats and other household pets get left behind when owners are pushed out
By Paul Knight
http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-04-24/news/foreclosure-pets/print
The rising number of foreclosures in the area has created a new term in the animal welfare lexicon: "foreclosure pets."
As realtors and junk haulers find more and more animals left behind in foreclosed homes, workers with humane agencies are trying to determine a way to solve the problem.
"It's certainly more prevalent now, and, generally, the people that leave the pets don't care enough to call us," says Melanie Rushé, public relations director for the Houston Humane Society. "Oftentimes we'll see a bag of dog food ripped open. They'll leave a bag of dog food and say a prayer and good luck. It's really *upsetting."
The Humane Society contracts with two Harris County constables to handle animal cruelty and abandonment calls, and the constables have been busy with foreclosure pets. The junk haulers, realtors, bank inspectors and neighbors — people who typically arrive first at a foreclosed home — usually don't have the authority or the will to remove the animals.
"It's so hard to get a handle on, because some people just move, and some people leave and say, 'Well, we were forced out today but we were going to come get the pet tomorrow,'" Rushé says. "If there was a crying baby locked in a car, then you could break in to save the baby. It's getting that way with animals, and we're getting there with foreclosures because it's a living being, trapped with no food or water."
In most cases, the constables are called to take the animals. According to Lieutenant Mark Timmers, who works with the Humane Society, it can take several days before he is able to respond to a foreclosure call due to the volume of other cases he works.
"There are so many factors into the issue of abandoned animals in the city, and the newest one is foreclosures," Timmers says. "We find the animals chained up, we find them running loose in the house. It's a sad situation because we know people are financially suffering, but that doesn't excuse leaving the animals behind when they can take them someplace else."
The constables and the Humane Society do not keep numbers on how many animals are found at foreclosed homes. The pets are simply listed as abandoned. But Timmers estimates that he responded to about 1,000 foreclosure calls last year.
Animal cruelty charges are rare in foreclosure cases, Timmers says, because it's hard to prove there was malice involved in leaving the pet behind.
When Timmers found a boxer tied to a tree in the backyard next to a pile of trash, no charges were filed. And nothing was done to the owners of a yellow lab who left the dog chained to a water faucet.
However, Timmers has found about 15 dead animals in foreclosed homes, and he filed charges in each of those cases.
"It's hard to explain when you go in and find the skeletal remains of a dog, and you finally track down the family and the first thing they tell you is, 'Man, we loved our dog, but we just couldn't take it with us,'" Timmers says. "You try to understand the reasoning behind all that, and to me there is none."
A majority of the pets found in foreclosed homes are in poor health. Most can be rehabilitated and put up for adoption. But according to Rushé, about 15 percent eventually have to be euthanized.
"The effort on their part is just not there," Timmers says. "If you're loading up the moving van, at least drop off your pet on the way out."
Dogs, cats and other household pets get left behind when owners are pushed out
By Paul Knight
http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-04-24/news/foreclosure-pets/print
The rising number of foreclosures in the area has created a new term in the animal welfare lexicon: "foreclosure pets."
As realtors and junk haulers find more and more animals left behind in foreclosed homes, workers with humane agencies are trying to determine a way to solve the problem.
"It's certainly more prevalent now, and, generally, the people that leave the pets don't care enough to call us," says Melanie Rushé, public relations director for the Houston Humane Society. "Oftentimes we'll see a bag of dog food ripped open. They'll leave a bag of dog food and say a prayer and good luck. It's really *upsetting."
The Humane Society contracts with two Harris County constables to handle animal cruelty and abandonment calls, and the constables have been busy with foreclosure pets. The junk haulers, realtors, bank inspectors and neighbors — people who typically arrive first at a foreclosed home — usually don't have the authority or the will to remove the animals.
"It's so hard to get a handle on, because some people just move, and some people leave and say, 'Well, we were forced out today but we were going to come get the pet tomorrow,'" Rushé says. "If there was a crying baby locked in a car, then you could break in to save the baby. It's getting that way with animals, and we're getting there with foreclosures because it's a living being, trapped with no food or water."
In most cases, the constables are called to take the animals. According to Lieutenant Mark Timmers, who works with the Humane Society, it can take several days before he is able to respond to a foreclosure call due to the volume of other cases he works.
"There are so many factors into the issue of abandoned animals in the city, and the newest one is foreclosures," Timmers says. "We find the animals chained up, we find them running loose in the house. It's a sad situation because we know people are financially suffering, but that doesn't excuse leaving the animals behind when they can take them someplace else."
The constables and the Humane Society do not keep numbers on how many animals are found at foreclosed homes. The pets are simply listed as abandoned. But Timmers estimates that he responded to about 1,000 foreclosure calls last year.
Animal cruelty charges are rare in foreclosure cases, Timmers says, because it's hard to prove there was malice involved in leaving the pet behind.
When Timmers found a boxer tied to a tree in the backyard next to a pile of trash, no charges were filed. And nothing was done to the owners of a yellow lab who left the dog chained to a water faucet.
However, Timmers has found about 15 dead animals in foreclosed homes, and he filed charges in each of those cases.
"It's hard to explain when you go in and find the skeletal remains of a dog, and you finally track down the family and the first thing they tell you is, 'Man, we loved our dog, but we just couldn't take it with us,'" Timmers says. "You try to understand the reasoning behind all that, and to me there is none."
A majority of the pets found in foreclosed homes are in poor health. Most can be rehabilitated and put up for adoption. But according to Rushé, about 15 percent eventually have to be euthanized.
"The effort on their part is just not there," Timmers says. "If you're loading up the moving van, at least drop off your pet on the way out."
Walking can be a real trip
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
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Comments
My husband and I had to sell our home in 2005 due to medical reasons. We still take care of our pets.
Granted, due to pet limits in rentals, we had to find homes for three of our pets, but we still take care of our cat and two dogs. There are always options and it is the responsibility of the pet guardians to exercise responsible choices.
I can't believe they just leave them behind.
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
Who cares? its much worse for the families losing their homes to the banks than a pet getting left behind. Big deal.
This IS upsetting.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
--Ghandi
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.
................................................................................
urban, i've read similar stats once before...heart-wrenching to be sure. i don't know HOW anyone could do that. ever. at least have the decency to bring it to a shelter. leaving an animal locked up in a house to starve....beyond cruel. thren again, i often wonder why some people ven HAVe pets, b/c they clearly don't love em. although, i often wonder the same with many and their children too...:o
Let's just breathe...
I am myself like you somehow
For may people, like myself and my fiance, our pets are family too.
How hard is it to call Animal Services to come and get your pet?
The type of person who can leave a family pet behind to die... is probably not the type of person who should have a pet.
Hail, Hail!!!
Rockin' - my pets are my family too. It was devastating just finding good homes for the pets we had to give up when we had to move from a home to an apartment.
These are people in foreclosure. I would guess that at least some of the people who end up in foreclosure failed to exercise any options for a bailout while they had the opportunities. Perhaps they are the type to ignore a problem until it goes away and did the same with their pets. The pets were a burden or obligation they could not handle, so they fell by the wayside. All around, it's sad.
When we had to sell our house. I saw it coming. I knew it would take a while for my husband to adjust to his medical condition and decisions had to be made while we still had some options. We off-loaded our house to a broker very quickly and made arrangements for our pets as the right opportunities came up.
I wish the people who left their pets behind would have used a little more foresight. I absolutely support criminal charges in cases of animal suffering.
***********************
"We've laid the groundwork. It's like planting the seeds. And next year, it's spring." - Nader
***********************
Prepare for tending to your garden, America.