Our local rescues are all buzzing about the new trend, a sad one indeed. It is what we refer to as the "foreclosure dog" wave. The phones are ringing off the hook with tearful families on the end of the line trying to explain why they must seek help to find a home for their loving pet. I recently had one woman meet me at my church parking lot to tell me her plight and allow me to photograph one of her dogs for a listing on Petfinder.com. The meeting lasted an hour and started with a crying session that I was desperate to pull her through. "This wasn't supposed to happen to me", she lamented. I attempted to reassure her that our process was thorough and we worked very hard to match the pet with a well-suited, loving family. But, here was a woman who truly never thought she would or could part with her best friend. Two family job losses and tremendous hardship have led the family to seek employment in the south and the housing they have secured will only allow one pet. They made the tough decision to keep the pit bull which she felt was less likely to find another loving home. So the lab-shepherd mix was coming my way by default.
This story will eventually have a happy ending for this dog because the woman was responsible and contacted our group very early in her plight. She still has 90 days before her move which will give us the necessary time to assist her, meanwhile her pet stays securely with the family it has always know. We advise families who are in this same situation to please call early for assistance. Often we can find loving homes and it requires that the pet make only one move, rather than going into foster care or a shelter environment first. Above all, make sure there is no other option for your pet. Often we have found that family members or close friends are willing to offer assistance on a temporary basis until the dog owner's life returns to some sense of a new normal for them. Your local rescue can be a great source of support and advice. We encourage people to support them generously when you are financially able. Non-profit rescues do a great service in the community.
