Housing crisis a death sentence for foreclosed upon pets, animals

By Aleza Freeman

When I first traveled to Israel more than 10 years ago I was surprised by the prevalence of stray cats and dogs wandering the streets in Jerusalem. While growing up in Las Vegas, I didn't encounter many strays. And those that I did come across (less than a handful of cats) all became my pets (Thanks, mom and dad!).

Times have certainly changed.

Economic turmoil in the United States and a landslide of home foreclosures in recent years has led to an increase in abandoned pets as their owners move to rentals or leave town.

Foreclosure Flood: It's raining cats and dogs

Sadly, when an animal is abandoned, it is essentially a death sentence:

• According to the animal society Heaven Can Wait, a cat that ends up in an animal shelter has about a 10 percent chance of leaving alive.
• Every year roughly 30,000 animals are euthanized at Las Vegas animal shelters.

The problem of abandoned pets is indeed biggest in states where mortgage foreclosures are highest (foreclosuredataonline.com).

• When foreclosures were snowballing in 2008, 8NewsNow.com reported that 40 percent of dogs with Las Vegas rescue groups were foreclosure causalities.
• In spite of a 2010 citywide spay/neuter ordinance aimed at curbing the stray population, the Las Vegas Sun reported that newborn puppies and kittens doubled in 2011.

My dad, Harold Goldsmith, has never met a stray he didn't like. Our first cat, Mitten, for instance, became our pet after she "followed me home" from school when I was 5.

Dad found his newest pet, a Chihuahua / Papillon mix named Daisy, shivering in the middle of a busy street last year -- most likely a foreclosure victim. Now she happily coexists with three cats in my parent's home.

A feral cat colony

My dad's animal instinct doesn't stop there. On a half-acre industrial property, privately tucked behind a gate, he has built up a large following of stray cats. He drives upwards of 25 miles every morning to feed what he calls his "pride" (More like his pride and joy). He's even named each of them (Runtie, Kushie, Haley, Sye, Mushy Muddy ...) while slowly gaining their trust.

"Feral cats don’t typically have any contact with human beings at all," said my dad. "Once they understand you're feeding them they completely change their attitude."

As his feral cat colony grew from two to 20, my dad -- who spends about $40 a week on cat food -- knew he had to take action. He decided to perform his own feral cat rescue by having them spayed and neutered through Heaven Can Wait. Heaven Can Wait Animal Society offers a Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Clinic, allowing people to safely trap feral cats and have them spayed or neutered. After the surgery, the cats ears are nicked on the left side as a signal to animal control that they are being cared for.

Having trapped more than 15 cats, my dad has become a bit of an expert on how to catch a feral cat. His pride of feral cats is even legally registered as a colony on record with Clark County.

Taming a feral cat

My dad later adopted one of the feral cats, Runtie, after she was involved in an accident. She has adjusted to her new life as a house cat with ease. Apparently, you can tame a feral cat. She and Daisy are the best of friends!

Since he can't bring all the cats home, the question he faces now is what to do once he retires. "I may need to dedicate the back half of my property as an animal sanctuary," he said.

The Las Vegas nonprofit Foreclosed Upon Pets, Inc. (FUPI) rescues pets who have been abused or abandoned by their owners as a result of economic hardship (home foreclosure, loss of employment, insufficient income, or death and illness). FUPI takes a proactive approach to cat and dog rescue by placing pets before they are abandoned. Their goal is to try and end the euthanasia of companion animals in Clark County and beyond.

FUPI has facilitated more than 1,000 animal adoptions over the past few years. Some of their efforts include:

• Adoption events: Pet store adoptions, dog fashion shows
• Flat rate, inexpensive adoption fees: $150 for dogs and $100 for cats, regardless of what they need done
• Partnering with an airline to send animals up to British Columbia to be put up for adoption in several Petcetera locations. One hundred lives have been saved to date through this method.
• Saving animals from a local kill shelter, then adopting them out

Want to adopt a dog or cat? View FUPI's adoptable animals.

Much of FUPI's success in adopting out animals comes from the effective use of social media, says Apryl Kane, Director of Communications for FUPI. She utilizes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Stumbleupon and Google+ to find new homes for abandoned cats and dogs.

"It helps because it gives them exposure," says Kane. "We're essentially able to give them a voice that says: 'Hey, I'm here. I survived. Now please help me find a forever home.'"

Q: Would your adoption rates be as high without the use of social media?

A: The long and short of it is no, I don't believe so. Social media keeps people informed and up-to-date on events. The interaction is much more personal than a letter or email, so I'm steadily seeing an increase in interest. With the exception of two or three dogs, every dog I've posted to these sites have been adopted.

What does the foreclosure crisis have to do with abandoned animals?

Well, with the rise in foreclosures in Clark County, there was an increase of animals being left in the backyards or inside vacant homes. Realtors were finding them and taking them to Lied or calling animal control. Those two organizations are kill shelters.

Did they find dead animals?

I'm sure they did. I'm sure they still are. Right now we're trying to minimize that. There's no fee to drop off your animal with us if you find yourself without the means to feed your dog or cat or care for them.

Are the owners embarrassed and sad?

From my experience, yes.

Do you think it's pride that motivates people to abandon their animals? Or lack of education on their options?

I think it's more the latter than the former. I hope so, anyways.

Take a proactive approach to avoid losing your home and your pet:

• Preventing Foreclosure
  Here are some foreclosure prevention tips for when you are in danger of falling behind on your mortgage payments or if you are already a little behind.
• Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure
  Have you received a notice tһat your house іѕ gоing to be sold at a foreclosure sale on а сеrtаin day?
• Avoid Foreclosure with a Short Sale
  Compared with foreclosure, a short sale isn't quite as much of a black mark on your credit report.