This week's news alert from the NYC-area ASPCA has some helpful advice on preventing the abandonment of pets during our economic recession. The concern is serious, because as more people face foreclosure on their homes and a forced reevaluation of their lives, pets easily could get lost in the crossfire and abandoned to shelters or, worse, the sides of the road to fend for themselves. (It absolutely horrifies me to think people actually still abandon pets this way. My friend MN in Florida told me recently that her family rescued their pet a few months ago. They found her abandoned and starving to death in a park.) According to Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, Executive Vice President of ASPCA Programs, “approximately one in 171 homes in the U.S. is in danger of foreclosure due to the subprime mortgage crisis. Considering that approximately 63 percent of U.S. households have at least one pet, hundreds of thousands are in danger of being abandoned or relinquished to animal shelters.” I think the ASPCA's best recommendation is to check with close family or friends who are more stable financially about having them foster your pet for you until you're able to get back on your feet again. There are others, however, so see the news alert for more. The last thing any animal lover wants is to abandon a pet, and no animal lover wants to see a pet abandoned. Click here to read the article, and be sure to spread the word to others! And speaking of abandoned pets, the beautiful Persian cat whose picture you see here is Atosa, the ASPCA's Pet of the Week, and she needs a good home. You can read more about her and see a short video clip about her on the same news alert.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Preventing Pet Abandonment
This week's news alert from the NYC-area ASPCA has some helpful advice on preventing the abandonment of pets during our economic recession. The concern is serious, because as more people face foreclosure on their homes and a forced reevaluation of their lives, pets easily could get lost in the crossfire and abandoned to shelters or, worse, the sides of the road to fend for themselves. (It absolutely horrifies me to think people actually still abandon pets this way. My friend MN in Florida told me recently that her family rescued their pet a few months ago. They found her abandoned and starving to death in a park.) According to Dr. Stephen Zawistowski, Executive Vice President of ASPCA Programs, “approximately one in 171 homes in the U.S. is in danger of foreclosure due to the subprime mortgage crisis. Considering that approximately 63 percent of U.S. households have at least one pet, hundreds of thousands are in danger of being abandoned or relinquished to animal shelters.” I think the ASPCA's best recommendation is to check with close family or friends who are more stable financially about having them foster your pet for you until you're able to get back on your feet again. There are others, however, so see the news alert for more. The last thing any animal lover wants is to abandon a pet, and no animal lover wants to see a pet abandoned. Click here to read the article, and be sure to spread the word to others! And speaking of abandoned pets, the beautiful Persian cat whose picture you see here is Atosa, the ASPCA's Pet of the Week, and she needs a good home. You can read more about her and see a short video clip about her on the same news alert.
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