In Rough Times, More People Abandon Their Pets

MADELEINE BRAND, host:

Families who've lost their homes to foreclosure or for other reasons often can't take their pets with them. They're forced to abandon them. So, one shelter in Chicago has gotten creative. Chicago Public Radio's Adriene Hill has this story.

(Soundbite of people barking)

ADRIENE HILL: That's the sound of people barking trying to get a mutt named Roxy to bark along with them, but to no avail. Roxy was much more interested in planting big, wet doggy kisses on everyone in the room and the microphone.

Ms. PAULA FASSEAS (Founder and Chair, PAWS Chicago): Do you play? Do you play?

HILL: The woman trying to sweet talk Roxy into barking is Paula Fasseas. She's the founder of Pets Are Worth Saving, that's PAWS Chicago, a no-kill shelter that finds homes for 3,000 animals a year. It's her goal to make Chicago a no-kill city, a task that right now is getting tougher as pet owners are surrendering more and more animals.

Ms. FASSEAS: Normally, you would, you know, you wouldn't always see animals that are so well-cared for that are coming in, which surprises us, and I think a lot of it is - it's obviously due to the economy. We've had a lot of people in our facility come in and say they've had their house foreclosed on, or their husband lost a job. They've lost their job. They don't know how they can afford to care for their animals.

HILL: Fasseas says the number of animals coming into the shelter directly and from the city's pound has been increasing for the past six to eight months. But just recently, she says, the situation has started to get really bad.

Ms. FASSEAS: We're finding a lot of dogs that have come in with nametags on and that the owners are gone, and they can't be located. We've been finding cats in dumpsters. It just seems a lot worse than it usually is.

HILL: According to Stephanie Shane of the Humane Society of the United States, many shelters around the country are reporting more surrendered and abandoned cats and dogs. She doesn't have firm numbers. A lot of it is anecdotal. But she's heard some shelters are seeing a 50 percent increase, and she says, in addition to having to care for and find homes for more animals, shelters are also being asked for more help.

Ms. STEPHANIE SHANE (Director of Outreach for Companion Animals, Humane Society of the United States): Families coming in asking if the shelter has a program to help pay veterinary bills, or if they have a program to help supply dog food.

HILL: There are shelters with programs like pet food banks, where cash-strapped owners can pick up free dog and cat food. Shane says some regular people food banks are also providing kibble. There are also foreclosure programs that find temporary homes for animals until owners can find a new place to live. And, says Shane, shelters are doing everything they can to find new homes for animals when owners aren't going to come back.

Ms. SHANE: I'm also seeing shelters doing creative stuff with their adoptions, things like two-for-one cat adoptions. So, if you are adopting two kittens, you only have to pay the adoption fee for one of them.

Unidentified Woman #1: Congratulations!

HILL: Back at PAWS Chicago, just such a special is underway. The day I'm there, the shelter is holding a 36-hour adopt-a-thon, and it's crowded with people like Tiffany O'Connor(ph) and Mike Hoffman(ph). They're here to find a dog to be a buddy for an eight-month-old puppy they have at home.

And how has the economy affected this decision for you guys, if it has at all?

Ms. TIFFANY O'CONNOR: That's part of the reason why we want to do it. It's because we know, right now, there's a lot of dogs being given up because people just don't have homes or can't afford to take care of them anymore, so it would feel good to save one, you know, and take it home and give it a good home.

HILL: The adopt-a-thon worked. PAWS Chicago found homes for about 130 animals, including Roxy. For NPR News, I'm Adriene Hill in Chicago.

(Soundbite of music)

BRAND: Day to Day is a production of NPR News with contributions from slate.com. I'm Madeleine Brand.

ALEX COHEN, host:

And I'm Alex Cohen. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.