posted May 20, 2008 02:55 PM         

NORTH COUNTY -- In the midst of record foreclosures, regional animal shelters say they are taking in a wave of pets who, like people, have lost their homes.

Traci Chavez, director of animal services with the Escondido Humane Society, which also serves Poway and San Marcos, said that the shelter has seen an influx of animals from families who can't make their mortgages. Forced to move quickly and with limited means, they are unable to locate housing that accommodates their pets.

"They say, 'Look, the bank is taking my house; I have no choice,' " Chavez said.

Many apartments won't accept pets, and even those that do often set weight limits that ban medium-sized and large dogs, Chavez said.

The shelter has about 30 percent more animals than it did at the same time last year, Abigail Rowland, the Humane Society's development director said.

Since summer, the shelter has fielded 20 to 30 calls a day, compared to just a few each day a year ago, from people who say they are losing their homes and don't know what to do with their pets, she said. Staff members inform callers about pet-friendly apartments.

The foreclosure casualties became evident in the fall, Chavez said, when the shelter's numbers failed to drop as usual following the teeming kitten and puppy season.

The trend mirrors the housing crisis, with 2007 bringing record-high foreclosures county-, state-, and nationwide.

In North County, the number of houses and condominiums entering foreclosure in 2007 more than doubled in the last year, according to La Jolla-based DataQuick Information Systems, with 6,586 notices of foreclosure recorded in 2007, compared to 2,875 in 2006.

Separation difficult

The separations are hard on animals and humans alike, Chavez said. One man who recently dropped off his pets of nine years, a border collie mix and a Labrador, lingered long in the office, sobbing and hugging and kissing his dogs, Chavez said.

"Half the staff had to turn around and walk out of the room. ... It was hard to take," Chavez said.

The surrendered animals have strained the shelter's capacity, Chavez said. She doesn't mind sharing her space with Millie, a 13-year-old tabby, but housing animals in almost every office is an emergency measure.

Chavez worries about what will happen when the numbers are compounded by the wave of kittens and puppies that will start arriving in March.

Many partner rescue groups also are full and unable to take more animals she said. Rowland urged people who do have room for a pet to consider adoption.

The North County Humane Society, serving Oceanside and Vista, also reports being atypically full for this time of year.

Family pets in the shelter, including a purebred maltese, lhasa apso and chihuahua, that would normally be adopted quickly are having difficulty finding homes, spokesperson Lindsay Hood said.

The unusual number of dogs means that small dogs are housed four to a two-dog kennel, and the stray cattery has also become a makeshift doghouse.

So far this month, the shelter has taken in 399 animals, compared to 262 for all of January 2007, Hood said.

She is unsure how many animals are the victims of foreclosures, but most people surrendering pets recently have checked the "moving" box on the shelter's required form.

"They're really not more forthcoming that that ... I wouldn't be either," Hood said.

She does not think military deployments have caused the increase, because deployments have been an ongoing issue.

In order to help displaced and financially strapped families keep their pets, the shelter will soon distribute a list of area apartments that accept larger pets and free pet food as needed.

Some shelters unaffected

Not all shelters have seen the foreclosure effect.

John Carlson, regional director of the San Diego County animal shelter in Carlsbad, said that he number of surrendered pets was slightly down in the second half of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, 529 compared to 592.

Dawn Danielson director of San Diego County Animal Services, said animal surrenders and abandonments were lower at all three San Diego County shelters.

The Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas, where Danielson serves as chairwoman, has also seen a drop in surrendered pets, she said.

The housing market's impact on animals does not appear to be exclusive to Southern California. The Humane Society of the United States issued a statement earlier this month urging foreclosure victims to make plans for their pets.

The group suggests that families start planning as soon as the threat of foreclosure is real. Shelters in cities where families plan to relocate can often provide a list of pet-friendly apartments.

And preparing proof of responsible pet ownership, such as veterinary records, may help convince future landlords to accept animals.

If no other arrangements can be made, turning animals into a shelter is the most humane move, the group says.

"No one likes to think of leaving their pet at a shelter," Stephanie Shain, a national Humane Society spokeswoman, said. "... But if you can't take him with you, it is far more humane than leaving them in an apartment or a house alone."

Contact staff writer Sarah Gordon at (760) 901-4067 or sgordon@nctimes.com.

posted May 22, 2008 10:43 AM         

I would love nothing more than a dog - a cat too - but won't get one until I am living in a home with a yard that I know I will be in for a long time. I had to give up my cat years ago (a cat i wasnt even supposed to have in my apt.) and it was very hard. I dreamt about her for a long time after that.

posted May 22, 2008 10:44 AM         

quote:

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The separations are hard on animals and humans alike, Chavez said. One man who recently dropped off his pets of nine years, a border collie mix and a Labrador, lingered long in the office, sobbing and hugging and kissing his dogs, Chavez said.

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Poor guy.