Financial Woes Make It Hard For Fido To ‘Stay’

By Nancy K. Crevier

A nationwide email plea seeking a home for two Labrador retrievers whose owners were losing their California home to foreclosure reached the in-boxes of many in the Newtown area last week. This story had a happy ending, with both dogs being adopted over the weekend, but it illustrated a problem that is steadily growing as job losses, wage freezes, cutbacks, and foreclosures take their toll on families — and the pets they own.

Frederick Acker, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Connecticut, said that a lot more dogs are being surrendered to pounds in Connecticut than the previous years. “The shelters that we work with are seeing an increase because of financial hardships. Many are running at maximum capacity if they accept animals that are surrendered by families,” said Mr Acker. “We didn’t hear as much [about foreclosures and financial problems resulting in pet surrender five years ago,” he said.

Where pet owners appear to be hit hardest these days, he said, is in the area of veterinarian care. “People tell us that they can no longer afford veterinary care, and there are no low-cost options. Job loss, home loss, a lot of economy-related things are leading to this,” he said.

Mr Acker, who frequently deals with rescue dogs from Southern shelters, said that in the Northeast, at least, pets are considered more a part of the family, so there seems to be more consideration given to finding a home when a family and a pet must part ways. “The other good thing is that in the Northeast, as compared to other parts of the country, people are still adopting pets at a good rate.”

It is essential that families who suspect they may have to put a pet up for adoption not wait until the last minute to do so, said Mr Acker, as Connecticut shelters are not required to accept surrendered pets.

“We exist to help the animals at the Newtown Pound,” said Virginia Jess, director of Canine Advocates of Newtown (CAN), a local organization of volunteers dedicated to assisting the pound with adoptions, socialization of animals, and providing funding for necessary veterinary services to make an animal more adoptable. “The pound cannot just take in any dog unless it seems like an extreme situation,” she said. “I have had a number of calls from people in the area wanting to surrender dogs. Some are moving to find work elsewhere and some are losing their homes, making it impossible to keep the dogs.”

Like Mr Acker, she has heard time and again that financial hardships are making veterinary care next to impossible, and that even purchasing pet food is a problem for some. CAN is the recipient of a good amount of donated pet food, but it is earmarked for the pound dogs. “If we do get too much, we will pass it on to the food pantry,” she said, and she has directed people to inquire at the town and FAITH food pantries as to whether they can get pet food there.

CAN does not foster pets or take in strays, said Ms Jess, but the organization will assist in finding a new home by advertising the pet and listing it on PetFinder and the CAN website.

She is concerned that if people wait too long to try to place their pet that they may be tempted to just release the animals and hope for the best. “There seem to be more strays around lately,” noted Ms Jess. “Last week I spoke with five people who want to surrender their dogs for one reason or another.” She only heard back from one caller, though, she said, leaving her to wonder what is to become of the other four dogs.

Animal Control Officer Carolee Mason is seeing a lot more people who surrender dogs because of divorce situations or because they can no longer afford the veterinary care required by a pet. “But as far as homeless animals go, there will always be problems and there will be too many. It’s always a battle, no matter what the economy,” said Ms Mason.

Most of the cats that are taken in at the Newtown Pound are strays, she said, or are surrendered when elderly owners are moved to a nursing home. “It is a lot easier for people to just abandon a cat than a dog, so they don’t tend to call us about the cats,” said Ms Mason.

“I am seeing dogs surrendered because of financial situations — which are sometimes just a good excuse for people to get rid of a dog with issues — but not to the extent that I can’t help them out,” said Ms Mason. “A lot of the dogs that come here out of foreclosure situations are good dogs and are highly adoptable,” she added.

The first step toward placing a pet is to look for a family member or friend willing to take the animal, said Ms Mason, and the sooner this is done, the better. But if the day is drawing nigh when the pet must be placed and no permanent home has been found, she encourages people to call the Newtown Pound at 426-6900. “We will try to help find a home. We try to do the best we can,” she said.