As more homeowners lose their homes to foreclosure and more people end up losing their jobs in Riverside County, California, it is not only the families who suffer but the animals that live with them. The number of abandoned foreclosure pets in the county has escalated dramatically and shelters in the area are stretched to the limit trying to accommodate the thousands of pets being left to their care.
According to county officials, so far, over 40,000 pets have been left to the care of county-operated pet shelters in 2010. Since the year is still not over, officials are predicting that this year's shelter populations will likely break past records. They also reported that among this huge population of cats and dogs, over 40% were euthanized.
Officials have also stated that as more properties fall under home foreclosure listings, the rapid rise in animal shelter population will continue and facilities will have to cope with bigger problems until next year. Officials from the shelters have also revealed a sad story that goes with the statistics.
According to them, among the abandoned foreclosure pets that were euthanized because there was no one who wanted to adopt them, over 40% are in good condition and have no illnesses, which means that under normal circumstances, they would not have any difficulty having these pets adopted. Shelter workers have stated that the rate of euthanasia among shelters in the county has escalated as the pet population expanded in these facilities.
Under the law, municipal animal care facilities are obliged to take all pets regardless of whether they have the space or the capability to care for them. On top of this requirement, municipal shelters also need to cope with budget cuts that led to fewer staff and less means of providing necessary supplies to animals.
Out of the nine cities in Coachella Valley, seven contract with the county of Riverside to provide pet facility at the Thousand Palms shelter. Statistics showed that among the abandoned foreclosure pets that were euthanized as of July 2010; around 3,600 were from the Thousand Palms shelter, with over 30% of these euthanized pets declared healthy and free of any disease.
