Abandoned foreclosure pets continue to rise in number in Arizona as more families are forced to leave their repossessed homes. In a report on foreclosures in November last year, more than 14,000 homeowners in Arizona were put into default and foreclosure lists.
Two rescue organizations in Arizona, the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation in Scottsdale and the Phoenix group called RESCUE, which stands for Reducing Euthanasia in Shelters Through Commitment and Underlying Education, have been taking in more and more animals from foreclosed homes which have become cheap houses for sale.
Jodi Polanski, president of Lost Our Home, said that the rescue organization is overwhelmed by the rising number of pets that they need to rescue and place for adoption. Last year, the organization rescued about 400 pet dogs and cats which were all abandoned by financially struggling pet owners.
According to rescue personnel, some pets left behind at abandoned homes and fixer upper homes are more fortunate than other pets because they are discovered on time by neighbors who had been willing to feed and care for them while waiting for rescue from animal rescue organizations. Others are found in wretched conditions after they have been left inside properties without water and food.
Polanski contended that families oftentimes abandon their pets instead of bringing them to shelters because they do not have money to pay for the fees.
Jennifer Berry, head of RESCUE, however said that rescue personnel cannot really say the real reasons for all the pet abandonment cases. Most of the abandoned foreclosure pets rescued by RESCUE and other rescue organizations do not have past records. RESCUE also takes in animals from shelters that have euthanasia programs and rehabilitates them and then places them with adoptive families.
Howard and Tammy Teeter, owners of a dog training business in Ahwatukee called Wiggles and Wags, are among volunteers who are training pet foster families. They said that becoming foster parents for abandoned pets is not difficult even for persons who have several children and who already have pets.
According to Tammy Teeter, they train foster parents to treat abandoned pets as normal pets and not as animals that should be treated differently because they have come from miserable situations. Pets should not be too pampered, according to them. They should be trained to follow rules and schedules.
Additionally, abandoned foreclosure pets should also be taught on their first day to avoid raiding the garbage can, avoid barking excessively and avoid playing on the couch.
