Pets and forclosures

(cbs4.com)

The first people to enter an abandoned house, such as property inspectors and real estate brokers, have discovered dogs tied to trees in backyards, cats in garages, and turtles, rabbits and lizards in children's bedrooms.

No one keeps track of the numbers of abandoned pets, but evidence suggests that forsaken animals are becoming a problem wherever foreclosures are climbing.
The situation has become so widespread that the Humane Society urged home owners faced with foreclosure to take their animals to a shelter.
Shelters are trying to keep up, but the spike in abandoned pets comes at a time when fewer people are adopting animals. Home sales are plunging to their lowest level in decades, and new homeowners are often the most likely to seek a pet.
Even people who are buying homes are not adopting pets.
"They may be euthanized at a shelter," said Stephanie Shain of the Humane Society of the United States. "But they'll be fed and have water and have a humane euthanization, as opposed to spending the last days of their lives eating carpet or wallboard."
Critics are furious with the "foreclosure pet" phenomenon, especially after seeing photos of emaciated animals on the Internet. Some say pet owners have already proved they are irresponsible by buying houses they could not afford or mortgages they did not bother to understand.
The problem is exacerbated because most people grappling with foreclosure are returning to rental housing or moving in with relatives -- two situations where it can be difficult or impossible to bring pets.
For people wanting to adopt a pet, there is the Humane Society Of Broward County and the Humane Society of Greater Miami, among other places which are privately run and take care of unwanted animals. Melvin Casanas, visited the Human Society of Broward County on Tuesday, to adopt a dog and told CBS4's Ted Scouten. "It's really sad because of the economy right now it's so bad, a lot of the people are given up pretty much everything," said Casanas. "It's just sad that a part of their family they have to let go too."