As the unemployment rate soars and pet owners lose their jobs many are forced to give up their furry companions to the many animal rescues and shelters across the country. The rescue organizations, which are primarily donation based, have been hard hit by the real estate downturn, especially in states like Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona. At these institutions the bills are piling up while funds are quickly drying up, leaving many shelters without electricity or water. Since the start of the recession, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that one million to two million pets have been abandoned because owners can no longer afford to take care of them. Donations are also down 40 percent at one basset-hound rescue in California and volunteers have had to quit or take a second or third job to pay bills that keep going up. “At pet food banks, they are seeing people who used to be donors now showing up asking if they can get a bag of dog food,” said Stephen Zawistowski, ASPCA executive vice president.
Pet shelters also suffering from real estate downturn
November 12, 2009 05:46PM
November 15, 2009 at 12:48 pm, Anonymous said:
I assume that if you can afford Manhattan rents, you have 50 bucks a month to spare to feed your puppies.
November 12, 2009 at 6:13 pm, Anonymous said:
Real Deal, name some shelters so that those who can help know
who to help!
November 12, 2009 at 8:44 pm, Anonymous said:
call the local spca or chamber of commerce…
November 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm, Anonymous said:
They usually relocate dogs from other shelters to ones with vacancies (i.e. the one in Manhattan).
November 13, 2009 at 12:12 am, Anonymous said:
If you click on the AP at the end of the article ,it opens to the full story and will tell you where to send help.
November 13, 2009 at 12:54 pm, Anonymous said:
2012 will make it better
November 13, 2009 at 2:15 pm, Anonymous said:
Then why is it that when I went to the ASCPA in Manhattan just this week, they had virtually no animals to adopt? If there are so many animals in need of a home, then what’s with the empty shelter?