Does an increase in abandoned pets indicate a fundamentally strong economy?
I volunteer at an animal shelter once or twice a week, and I can verify that there are more abandoned pets than ever in my metropolitan area. It was ominous when it started and it’s even more worrying now, because I fear it will only get worse. About six months ago we started seeing the Foreclosure Dogs. These were usually big dogs that lived in a house with a nice big yard, and then the owners lost their house. They either moved in with family or into a small apartment, or one one occasion I know of, their car. So the owners brought their dog to the shelter knowing it wasn’t fair to the dog to keep them under those circumstances. Lately I’ve seen cats, rabbits, all sorts of animals, where the owners lost their home or lost their job and couldn’t keep them anymore – couldn’t afford the medicine for their illnesses, couldn’t afford the pet food, or they were working two jobs and couldn’t give them any attention. We’ve been so busy in the last few months that it’s a constant stream of an
