Video Report - Pets being abandoned by cash-strapped owners
May 18th, 2008 Posted in Pets GuideUncertain economic times mean animal shelters across the country are more crowded than ever, and in Kingsport the number of pets being taken to the shelter is on the rise.
“Here in the past five months we have noticed our population increase,” Kingsport Animal Shelter Manager Tracy Raines said. “Most of those have told us that their pets have to be given up because they don’t have the money to pay for food, shots, vet care and other things they need.”
When it comes to numbers of dogs and cats, twice as many dogs are being brought to the shelter.
“Some of these dogs are purebreds, very nice dogs. But because the family’s house has been foreclosed or they have had to move into an apartment that doesn’t allow pets, this is their last stop,’’ Raines said.
The trend is an unfortunate side effect of a struggling economy and a spike in home foreclosures, according to a spokesperson with the Humane Society of the United States, who told CNN last month that pet abandonment is up 30 percent in states where foreclosure rates are high.
Raines and her staff have just taken in 24 dogs from one homeowner whose property used to house a puppy farm and was foreclosed on earlier this year.
Some people resort to abandoning animals on the side of the road or in a secluded area, but Raines said the shelter should be the first place people should think of when they can no longer take care of their pet.
“This is why we were created — to help animals in distress. We know that it is not a pleasant situation, having to forfeit one of your best friends, but we can give them the care they need and hopefully get them a new home,” she said.
Kingsport animal cruelty investigator Ginny Mowell says the options are bleak for a dog or cat left behind.
“They could be out there on the street, and they run the risk of getting hit by a car or being infested with fleas. Here at the shelter, we clean them, feed and water them, give them their shots, and the other things they need to at least help them along,” Mowell said.
The shelter itself has become a victim of a struggling economy, with regular donations slowing to a crawl.
“Money is hard to spread around when the cost of fuel, groceries and other things put needs at a premium. Sometimes, agencies like ours are the last thing on people’s minds, but we hope people realize the service we provide and can help,” said Raines.
Kennel space will be scarce next month. A large amount of cats and kittens are usually brought to the shelter in June.
“It is documented. We see at least 300 cats and kittens every June. It’s just the time of year when kittens start arriving, and families don’t have anywhere to put the cats,” said Raines.
The Humane Society has just created a special fund that will be distributed across the United States to help families keep their pets and ensure their pets get proper care. The incentives and grants will be administered through animal shelters and rescue groups.
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Tags: abandonment, animal cruelty, animal shelter, animal shelters, animals, animals in distress, ash, best friends, cats, cats and kittens, cnn, dogs, dogs and cats, economic times, five months, fleas, foreclosure, foreclosure rates, foreclosures, home foreclosures, humane society, kitten, kittens, left behind, Pet, pets, population, population increase, pup, puppy, puppy farm, raines, rescue groups, spokesperson, these dogs, time of year, unfortunate side effect, united states, vet, vet care
