A sign of the Bush times - abandoned pets

[Neecy]

Maybe some of the people here who volunteer at their local animal shelters can jump in with their recent experiences.

I foster puppy mill rescues. Tonight one of the rescue groups I've fostered for called and asked if I can open my home to an abandoned Pomeranian - they're overwhelmed with them and are asking their puppy mill foster homes to start taking them in short-term until they can be placed. Apparently many of these dogs are losing their homes when the owners are foreclosed and are simply being abandoned or dumped at shelters, which are filling up fast.

I wondered if this was happening elsewhere and apparently it is - this is from the Boston Globe this week:

The days around Labor Day have become high season for pet "dumping," when animal control officers across the region rescue furry and feathered creatures that have been abandoned in vacant apartments and seasonal cottages, shoved into boxes and dropped in unlocked cars, or left to wander the woods. The numbers of these castoffs appear to be rising, say officers, who are increasingly finding area shelters too full to take the animals.

...The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals doesn't keep statistics on animal dumping, but Peter Gollub, the society's director of law enforcement, said based on what he has been hearing from local control officers around the state, the MSPCA believes it is on the rise.

"I have to wonder if economics isn't playing a role," said Gollub, who thinks the increased cost of housing and the rising number of home foreclosures that have uprooted families may partially explain the uptick in animal abandonment.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/06/willful_abandonment/

If you can, it might be helpful to donate money or food to your local shelter. Rescue groups can definitely use more foster homes. I know we all have bigger fish to fry, but these animals are really helpless.

[NV Whino]

1. Post this in the Pets Group, too

[barb162]

2. Thoughtful post, thanks

[orleans]

3. wow. thanks for posting this. k&r n/t

[barb162]

4. kick

[Faygo Kid]

5. Our rescued Pomeranian is now 14. Is there a place in Maryland/DC we can rescue another?

We have three rescued dogs and three rescued cats right now, and that's about all we can handle. But, they are aging. Would be happy to rescue another Pom when the time comes (they are yappy but happy). We are in Maryland and work in DC. Advice?

This is Missy. (She came with the name. She is a Destroyer of Treats.)

[Neecy]

6. she's beautiful!

Destroyer of treats...I love it. Describes my Poms perfectly.

Here's a good start. The AKC Pomeranian Club has a number of rescue contacts in Baltimore. Most rescues are adult dogs but occasionally they'll need to place younger guys. You might want to bookmark their page:

http://pcgbinc.org/mem_dir.asp#Allen

Good luck and I'll keep my eyes peeled for more groups in your area. Your vet can be an excellent resource, too.

[Faygo Kid]

7. We actually adopt only older dogs now. Last one at 9. (Part Pom)

She's 11 now, and another spoiled one who follows me everywhere. Adopting older dogs is very expensive, and we know that we're talking five years probably tops, but what are you going to do? Leave them to be euthanized? I don't think so. The younger ones, they have a better chance. I wish we could save them all, but we contribute what we can and do what we can, and believe me, these dogs have a great life. Of course, the oldest one (in the pic) is a lush. She loves a little wine now and then (white only, please).

[Neecy]

8. I've adopted two older ones, too

Guido was seven when I got him a couple of years ago. He's only about 5 pounds and eats me out of house and home.

My special one is Teddy. I don't know how old he is - I'm guessing around 11 - and he was considered unadoptable. He was from a notorious mill in Missouri and was clearly abused. He was scheduled to be put to sleep when I agreed to foster him, and in a little over a year he's turned into a relatively happy, social little guy. I decided to keep him because he's become so attached to my other Pomeranians and they've been a big part of his socialization.



Adopting senior dogs *is* expensive, but they really don't have anywhere to go. Too bad we live so far apart - we could have a big Pom playtime with our senior citizens! Hell, they move faster than I do.

[OnyxCollie]

10. Omigod! What a cutie! nt

[freeplessinseattle]

9. or maybe the Bush attitude rather than economy is in play?

they ran out of their scarce resource of compassionate conservatism?

[badgerpup]

13. Animals are not accessories...

Especially those we have domesticated and forced taught to depend upon us for everything.

:grr:

[rug]

11. I used to think the slogan 'every time you vote republican a kitten dies' was just a joke.

[AZBlue]

12. K&R

This is so disturbing. Looks like it's time to donate $$ and food to shelters.

[OneBlueSky]

14. how people can do this is beyond my comprehension . . .

I've had animals all my life, mostly dogs, and each one of them quickly became an integral part of my family . . . to me, abandoning one of them would be about the same as abandoning a kid . . . to treat a creature who offers humans nothing but unconditional love is indicative of some kind of underlying pathology that I just don't understand . . .

[lonestarnot]

15. Reported that a whole pet store was abandoned and all the animals died.

Fell out before I could get the details.

[Donnachaidh]

16. we donated WORKING washer and dryer to the rescue folks

And if you have old towels they can use those too.

If you really want to help, call the local rescue groups and find out what they need on a daily basis. These folks are doing the hard work. They deserve our support.

[Neecy]

17. that's perfect

Towels, bedding, collars, treats, toys...they can use any of these things and they don't have to be expensive. The washer and dryer donation is wonderful and a great idea.

Petfinder.com has an extensive list of rescue groups by state. Here's the link for it:

http://search.petfinder.com/awo/index.cgi?action=state

[tammywammy]

18. This has been going on for years before Bush became president

People have been abandoning and dumping pets for decades.

BTW, my cat was adopted from an animal shelter.

[intheflow]

19. Yes, but the point of this post

is that there seems to be a marked increase in pet-dumping these days. That's the story--not that animals are being dumped, but how many more are being abandoned.

[tammywammy]

20. I think it has to do more with the economy

As the market down turns there's an increase in pet dumping, irregardless of who's president.

[JudyM]

21. Shelter pets are the best and saving one makes you appreciate them even more.

There's a deep, special bond that you develop with your shelter rescue pet that you just don't have when you buy them from a pet store or breeder.

[leveymg]

22. Noticed a lot of empty houses, and now stray pets here in N. Virginia

Something bad is definitely happening on a large scale, but the DC area corporate media only has time for Britney and scare stories about mad Iranians.

Sad and sickening. :-(

[Yael]

23. This breaks my heart.

:(

[smokey nj]

24. K&R!!!

[semillama]

25. My kittehs are both direct rescues

Seke is 13 years old and I found her on the streets of Pontiac, Michigan in 1994. I actually observed her with some friends for a while and determined that she was actually abandoned instead of a free-roaming pet.



Space Ghost is 5 years old. He was abandoned when the people who were living above the apt I was renting at the time skipped out on their lease, and left him behind. (He loves lounging around on his back!)

[arikara]

29. OMG... Seke looks exactly like our Turtle

Even to the little orange streaks on the side of her face. I bet she's queen of the house too like ours. Torti's have a definite attitude.

Our 2 are also rescues. Turtle was a street cat, but the SPCA thought she was fully grown when she picked us. She was small and grew from 6 pounds to 15 pounds in just a few months so she was obviously quite malnourished. Because of her street days, she's always hungry and forages around the floor picking up crumbs like a dog. I've never seen another cat do that.



Tuffy, the little black guy was abused and is still timid around anyone except us. He's so sweet and loving I can't imagine anyone wanting to be mean to him.

[StarryNite]

26. Rescue animals make wonderful

additions to families.

Here is our pound puppy...



This is our daughter's pound kitty...

[qanda]

27. Also, check Craigslist

There are a lot of people posting about having to give up their pets because they have to "move". It would be nice if those pets can get good homes.

[StarryNite]

28. That's true

because if they can't find homes for their pets then those animals are at risk for abandonment too.