Published February 11, 2009 06:57 pm - The house was dark and quiet, its owners long gone after financial troubles and eventually foreclosure creeped in and forced the family out.
Pets being left behind because of housing crisis Pet abandonment is a big, growing problem in area
By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com Star Beacon
The house was dark and quiet, its owners long gone after financial troubles and eventually foreclosure creeped in and forced the family out.
A “for sale” sign in the front yard and a new lock on the door, everyone thought the cold rooms were empty — and they almost were.
“The real-estate agent opened the door, and four little eyes were looking at her,” Ashtabula County Humane Society agent Nancy Frazier said. “It was Uno and Dos.”
Uno and Dos are little bunnies that represent a big problem in Ashtabula County and across the nation. The rabbits are “foreclosure pets,” left behind when their owners were forced from their homes as a result of foreclosure.
Frazier said animal abandonment is a big problem, which is growing worse as the economy continues to sour.
“We find cats and dogs and rabbits and ferrets left inside houses,” Frazier said. “Then there are the dogs left tied outside, the cats thrown out into barns or just fields, turtles and hamsters and every other critter you can imagine just left behind.
“I don’t know what people think is going to happen to these animals when they are just left. Do people know they are essentially leaving them to die?” she asked.
With local shelters already overwhelmed, Frazier said she understands it can be difficult to find a home for a beloved pet.
“But please,” she said, “don’t just leave them. Try to find them homes; try to find them even temporary places to stay until you get on your feet.”
Web sites are popping up to help victims of foreclosure find new homes or temporary accommodations for their pets.
www.foreclosurepets.org is a free service to post pet information, including photos, description and contact information in order to find animals temporary homes or a new family.
Frazier said she wishes Uno and Dos’ owners had found them a safe haven before leaving the bunnies behind.
“Uno and Dos are lucky rabbits,” she said. “They could have starved or frozen all alone in that house. I understand the financial struggles a lot of people are facing, but to leave an animal behind, to fend for itself, is cruel.”
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