News Team Boulder

Issue date: 3/17/09 Section: News

American pets are becoming by-products of our own economic woes. As more people lose jobs and the economy falls deeper into a recession, many families are forced to relinquish their beloved pets to the care of shelters.

But the more alarming problem stemming from the economic crisis is the number of animals being abandoned inside foreclosed homes, often for weeks before being discovered.

"Shelters have been reporting increased numbers of animals surrendered, because people have had to move, lost their homes, lost their jobs," said Leslie Irvine, a CU professor and expert on human-animal relationships. "The other thing that's been happening is that realtors and people who deal in foreclosed properties again have been reporting all across the country that they're going into these homes and finding animals who have been left behind."

Animal abandonment inside foreclosed homes is a very common problem in the country's hardest-hit areas, like the East Coast and California. Some animals are discovered dead, though a large number of animals are found alive in extremely poor health and frequently on the brink of death.

In Colorado, animals are more frequently either relinquished to a shelter, or, in unfortunate cases, let loose to wander the streets. Those animals end up in shelters.

"This year, we've seen a slight increase in people reporting that they're relinquishing their pet due to insufficient funds," said Bridgette Chesne, shelter manager of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. "We believe that its just become more acceptable to be more open about your financial position because you believe the person you're speaking to is probably having similar experiences. So, its hard to say if there's been an increase in relinquished pets because of insufficient funds, or because people are just more comfortable reporting that they're struggling in that area."

Shelters are strongly encouraging families in financial dire straights to contact friends and other families who may be willing to adopt their pets. Most shelters will also provide free dog and cat kibble, free of charge and year-round, for any family in need. Otherwise, the last option is relinquishing the pet to a local shelter. Pets relinquished by their owners have a better chance of adoption because the owner can provide pertinent information about the animal.

"If you at least go to a shelter, you can give the shelter worker some information about that animal that will increase the chances of him or her finding a way into a good home," Irvine said. "A forever home."


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