Jun
10
Posted (Roy McKenzie) in animals, news on June-10-2008
Photo of a dog behind a chain-link fence at the Paws and More No Kill Animal Shelter in Washington, Iowa. I took this picture. This looks just like my dog Yuma. He was from a shelter in Evanston Il.

Image via Wikipedia

Some homeowners who can’t afford their mortgage payment, and find themselves in property foreclosure are not only walking away from their home, but they’re also walking away from their pets.

They’re called, “foreclosure pets” and when the owner walks away from the home they leave there pet behind. You’d think it would be as simple as taking the animal to the nearest pet shelter or finding the loved one a good home, but it’s more complicated then that.

Animals who get “left behind” are the personal property of their owners, and therefore cannot legally be taken from the property.

A woman named Cheryl Lang, president of REO management firm Integrated Mortgage Solutions, heard about the growing problem and started a non-profit organization called, No Paws Left Behind. She utilizes her network of contractors to feed and care for the abandoned pets until they can legally be taken from the home.

If you are a property owner who is about to be foreclosed upon and have no place to take your pet, or if you are interested in helping or donating, visit the No Paws Left Behind website at: http://www.NoPawsLeftBehind.org


Comments:
Cheryl Lang on June 10th, 2008 at 5:26 pm #

Hi Roy,

Thank you so much for the mention on your blog! We are such a new organization and really gaining momentum thanks to people like you who will take the time to spread the word. We have had several success stories lately that are posted on our website and we want everyone to check back often and read about the good things that are happening to abandoned pets. “Foreclosure pets” are a growing phenomenon in the US and will continue for at least 2 years. We all remember all the positive things that came out of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina; laws were changed to prohibit leaving your pets during a disaster, public service announcements educated the public on how to plan for a disaster that included taking care of pets and a real national awareness was brought to light. Hopefully, No Paws Left Behind will be forging the ground work to educate the public of how to plan for a financial disaster and how to prepare to care for your pets. We need to let our citizens know that in an emotional and confusing time in their lives, there are resources and people that want to help. Stay PawStrong.

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