The Atlanta Humane Society is being inundated by foreclosure pets as more and more stray animals find their way into the society’s facilities. The main problem facing the association is that, as the pet population in their facilities increases, the number of people willing to adopt them has become fewer.
The problem is not unique to the Atlanta Humane Society. Dogs and cats shelters all over the Metro Atlanta area are reportedly experiencing the same animal population boom, with few options for adoption and permanent homes for the domestic animals.
As homes foreclosures for sale in the metro area continue to rise in numbers, households have no choice but to leave their pets with animal shelters or just leave them behind while they find another way to find homes.
Volunteers and workers at the Humane Society have claimed that the rise in pet population among animal rescue facilities can be as high as 25%. They claim that more pets are abandoned or left behind by owners as homes foreclosures for sale show no sign of abating.
More than the problem of overcrowding at animal facilities, reports have revealed that foreclosure pets are facing a bigger concern; that of being “put to sleep” as animal shelters find it harder to care for them these days.
Rising cases of euthanasia in dogs and cats shelters are largely attributed by animal rescue operators to lack of shelter staff who are tasked to feed and care for the strays. According to local reports, government budget cuts have left most animal shelters with fewer staff members and supplies for the pets.
The budget cuts and rising numbers of homes foreclosures for sale have also dented animal shelter funds which could have been used to spay and neuter animals to control population overgrowth. Dogs and cats shelters also have less money for advertising adoption services and for expanding their facilities to accommodate more homeless animals.
Local animal rescue organizations have also stated that, in a way, abandoned pets are competing for resources and city budgets with fire fighters and school teachers as the area’s tax base continue to shrink.
Societies and facilities that take in foreclosure pets are finding it harder and harder to find permanent homes for these strays. Dwindling government support also makes it harder for animal shelters to accommodate the rising number of abandoned domestic animals.
