Hey Family, Don't Leave Me Behind!

Could you do this? The picture was taken at a property that had been recently foreclosed on. The family moved on, but left the three dogs behind to fend for themselves. To make matters worse, they left them locked in this small pen. The buckets above collected rain water, but we are in a major drought. All three dogs seemed malnourished and in a state of shock.

 The purpose of this blog is not to shake a finger at the family. We are treading water through the toughest economic times since the Great Depression. Families are doing what they have to do just to survive. Foreclosure impacts all members of the family, including the furry four legged kind. Here are some tips to help your pet through the foreclosure process.

1) Ask for help-- Folks who cannot pay their house note probably don't have 75 bucks a month for dog food. The local Humane Society or other animal rescue organizations can point you in the right direction. Don't let your foolish pride keep your pet from eating!

2) Consider a temporary adoption-- Seek out a friend or family member to keep your pets until the financial storm passes.

3) Permanent Adoption-- After a foreclosure your primary goal is to find a new place to live. Due to the foreclosure hit, your credit rating will suffer. This will greatly limit the number of places to rent. Sadly, most will not accept large animals. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our pets is to see they find a new home.

4) Never Leave The Animal At the House-- There may be a weeks (if not months) gap from eviction until the next person steps foot on the property. Locking the animals in a pen might just sentence them to a slow, painful death from starvation. Animal cruelty charges can even result from such actions.

The dog is man's best friend. Treat him as such!!