Consumer Credit Counselors Urge Victims of Foreclosure to Tap Resources to Save Their Pets

For those losing their homes to foreclosure, the immediate needs take precedent: Where will we live? How do we handle our debt? What should we do improve our credit? In the midst of all this chaos, your pet may stand to suffer the most if not cared for properly.

A new apartment has to accept your children, but not your house pet. You are struggling to cover the basic expenses--how can you continue to pay for bags of food and litter? Vaccinations and routine preventative care are put on the back burner. Due to financial considerations, many feel they have no choice but to surrender their animals to a shelter.

The certified credit counselors at our Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) agency are well-versed in working with clients who must decide whether or not they can afford to keep their pets. Counselors have compiled a list of suggestions and resources for those facing this dilemma:

Try to keep the home.
If you’re able to stay in the house, you’re most likely to be able to keep your pet. Seek a no-cost housing delinquency counseling session with a Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counselor, such as those at our Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) agency. A housing counselor can assist homeowners faced with the uncertainty of foreclosure by identifying options for keeping their homes.

Seek local assistance.
For donations of pet food, cat litter, low-cost vet care, spaying/neutering, boarding, or pet placement, call or visit your local SPCA, Humane Society, animal shelters, rescue groups, and veterinarians. Not all provide assistance, but they may know where to refer you for additional help. Through its “Pet Pantry,” Richmond, Virginia’s SPCA, for instance, offers pet food to households in financial hardship who need short-term help for those intending to keep their pets. Services include free and low-cost spay/neutering and a low-cost wellness clinic. For those facing foreclosure, Sacramento, California’s SPCA, too, offers emergency pet food, low-cost vaccinations, microchips, and spay/neuter services and referrals.

Many major cities have pet food pantries or even distribute pet food and kitty litter through Meals on Wheels. You may also contact a local pet store or even human service agencies for ideas.

Speak with friends, relatives and co-workers and see if anyone will agree to foster your pet until you are able to get back on your feet financially, and find housing that will allow you to retrieve your pet later. Give them a rough timeline (six months, a year) and make sure to visit the pet regularly so both the pet and your friends know you still care.

If you must give up your pet, if possible, give him or her to a “no-kill” shelter. Avoid the municipal “pounds,” that have fewer resources and where your pet is more likely to be euthanized. House pets left to fend for themselves in foreclosed homes or on the streets are likely to get injured in fights with predators, catch diseases or get hit by cars. Leaving them at an animal shelter of any kind is a more humane, not to mention, less likely to spark a criminal investigation for neglect or abandonment.

Ask national pet welfare organizations for referrals.
If you aren’t able to find enough help from the local shelters, contact national non-profits like Best Friends Animal Society (referrals), No Paws Left Behind (monetary assistance for vet bills or pet security deposits), Pet Finder (database of animal shelters across the country), and the Humane Society of the United States (list of organizations that provide monetary assistance).

Surf the net.
Conduct a Google search for [the name of your town] and [foreclosure] and [pet]. Also try searching [your town] and “pet food bank.”

If you’re facing foreclosure and are uncertain about being able to afford to keep your pet, you have a lot of company. In the past few years, thousands of Americans have needlessly sacrificed their pets. In response to the crisis, animal shelters and non-profit animal welfare organizations across the country have stepped up to provide food, shelter and medical care to help pet owners keep their best friends. Today, with some phone research and persistence, families who have lost their homes to foreclosure are more likely to find the assistance they need.

For a no-cost appointment with one of our Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) agency’s certified credit counselors who will help you assess your situation and map out an action plan to address your debt, please call (888) 656-CCCS. The non-profit organization, a Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling agency, also offers free mortgage default and foreclosure counseling.