Pets become victims of foreclosure

Eve stands up and stretches leisurely, then slowly walks over for a scratch behind the ears. The tabby knows nothing of the foreclosure crisis, yet she's one of its latest victims.

So is Brutus, a beautiful gray cat, Diamante, a spotted mutt with a big head, Princess, his sister, and Ellie, a doe-eyed shepherd mix.

Shelters traditionally have not tracked foreclosures, but Joan Carlson Radabaugh noticed a trend recently added them to the list of reasons people can check when they bring an animal to the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League in West Palm Beach, where she is executive director.

"In the last month, we had approximately eight animals come to us specifically for the reason that people were losing their homes to foreclosure," Radabaugh said.

But that number may be higher. Another 38 people simply checked off "moving," perhaps too embarrassed to say they were being forced from their homes.

With one of every 95 Florida homeowners facing foreclosure and similar stories playing out at animal shelters across the country, the Humane Society of the United States recently issued a statement urging pet owners to remember their four-legged family members when relocating.

"We have tried to be preemptive," said Nancy Peterson, an issues specialist with the national organization. "It may be heartbreaking for them, and we don't want to see them in that position."

At the Tri-County Humane Society in suburban Boca Raton, Executive Director Jeannette Cristos says the facility gets four to five calls a week from people who are moving into apartments, in with family members or out of state because they lost their homes.

"I would say in the last four months it's really gotten bad," she said. "I just had two little dogs, mutts, brought in because their owner's house was foreclosed on, and they are 8 years old."

for more details : http://www.palmbeachpost.com