With Foreclosures High, Animal Shelters are Bearing the Brunt of a Depressed Economy

The US economy is in the throes of the deepest recession. Unemployment is at its peak and people are faltering on mortgage payments. Banks are taking over the properties and foreclosures are at an all time high. Now animal shelters are bearing the brunt of a depressed economy.

Animal shelters in Los Angeles are overcrowded with pets. Most of these pets are unwanted. The Department of Animal Services is making offers of adoptions. But there seems to be no takers. Rescue groups are trying hard to find homes for these unwanted animals.

Kathy Davis, general manager of the department hopes that the economy will recover soon and people will soon stop giving up animals. In recent times, the record of people giving up animals has been particularly high.

People started abandoning pets since last year and the trend has continued unabated for quite sometime now. Till June 30, there was a 14 per cent increase in the number of pets in city’s various animal shelters. The number had increased to 55,742, the highest that the city has seen in five years.

There has also been an increase in the number of animals killed. Euthanasia of cats has already touched a record high. Missy Woodward, of Reseda says that people are even opening the doors to let the animals go.

The situation is indeed very bad and spaying and neutering the pets is practically non-existent. Last year, spay and neuter law had been implemented but unfortunately nothing was done about it. About 13,000 cats were killed which marked a 30 per cent increase from the previous year.

Already the city’s six shelters are overcrowded and the problem is especially severe in the East Valley Shelter. There are 455 animals here. This is more 100 more than its capacity. From here, animals are going to other shelters also.

Capt. Helen Brakemeier, manager of the shelter says this increase has been the result of recession. Many people are turning in the animals because they have lost their houses and moved to different places. Brakemeier says there are not many homes for so many animals.

Judie Mancuso, founder of an animal welfare advocacy group Social Compassion in Legislation observes that the animals are in a pitiable state. The animal shelters are already overcrowded. Unless the economy improves the situation will only get worse. Critics feel that the animal shelter policies need to be overhauled so that pets do not need to be killed.