Jul 18, 2008 6:50 pm US/Eastern
'Foreclosure Pets' Filling Up Shelters Nationwide
No-Kill Shelters Filled To Capacity; Humane Society Starts 'Foreclosure Fund' To Help Affected Pets
STILLWATER, N.J. (CBS) ―
The family pet is becoming the latest victim of the crumbling economy. Animal shelters across the country are being inundated with pets that people can no longer afford.
Stillwater resident Ron Huber brought his two best friends Casey and Wiley into his home two years ago. But now, Huber, a single father, is barely able to meet his monthly mortgage, and he simply can't afford to take care of his two dogs anymore.
"It's breaking my heart right now talking about having to give them up, but I think it's probably the best thing to do," he said.
Huber says if he continues to keep his dogs, he won't be able to provide for his children.
"That's taking food out of my kids' mouths and I can't do that, we are very tight."
Now the Hubers are desperately seeking a good home for their beloved pets...and they're not alone.
Shelters nationwide are seeing an alarming increase in the number of so-called "foreclosure pets" – dogs and cats that are losing their homes as a result of the economic crisis.
Linda Schiller runs Eleventh Hour Rescue, based in Rockaway. For the first time, the no-kill shelter is filled to capacity.
"[With] $4 and $5 gas, food going up, people are having trouble making ends meet. Unfortunately, the family pet becomes one of the victims of this whole problem," she says.
Tough economic times are not only sending a flood of pets in shelters, but fewer people are contacting rescue groups to adopt them and fewer donations are coming in to support the dogs and cats that are already there.
The Humane Society of the United States has established a "foreclosure fund" to help the affected pets. You can donate to the fund by
clicking here.For more information about the Hubers' dogs, contact 11th Hour Rescue,
click here.CBS News Reporter Kathryn Brown contributed to this report.
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