Our pocketbooks are not the only things being pinched by the slowing economy. More and more pets are sadly being squeezed out of the household as families hit hard times. Since the holidays Judy Sarullo, founder of Pet Rescue By Judy, has seen a tremendous increase in animals being tossed out on the street or abandoned in foreclosed homes.
“People are not just leaving their animals because they cannot afford them, they are leaving them in the street to die or tied up in the backyard to starve,” she said. “It’s pathetic.” Her adoption rate has declined as people are less likely to be able to afford a new pet or unwilling to drive to Sarullo’s foster homes to pick the animals up due to record high gas prices.
“I think the worse is yet to come,” she said. But the news is not all gloom and doom. Orange County Animal Services has seen only slight increases in the number of animal surrenders and abandoned pets in the last six months. The largest increases experienced by Animal Services was from fiscal year 2005-2006 to fiscal year 2006-2007, when there was a 197 percent increase in surrenders and a 23 percent boost in animals abandoned.
Last year Animal Services had 23,000 total impounds. OCAS spokesperson Vanessa Bouffard said the recent increase may be due to folks leaving for the military who have no alternatives. “You would be surprised what people will do to care for their pets. A lot of homeless folks have dogs and many times the animals are better cared for than the owner. If they have a sandwich, they will give half to their dog,” Bouffard said.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central Florida recently started a program where pet meals are taken to Meals on Wheels recipients because they found that those with pets were giving half of their dinner to the animals. “This lets us know that even during hard times people will do what they can to maintain their animals,” Bouffard added.
OCAS tries to make the pet-surrendering process as easy for the client as possible because they want to encourage people to bring their pets into their shelter instead of abandoning them. For this reason, Bouffard said they do not ask the reason for the pet surrender, making it impossible to know how many are a result of the poor economy. “When someone brings a pet to us it is a very emotional process.
They are making a very difficult decision to give up a member of their family. We applaud their efforts to bring them here instead of throwing them on the street like others do,” she said. Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida Institute for Economic Competitiveness, said many people are having to make some tough financial choices as the economy worsens, but for the most part people are foregoing recreational spending like entertainment and lavish vacations. But to some, a pet is considered a luxury they can no longer afford.
“It depends on the individual’s financial situation and how they feel about their pet. But if it comes down to keeping a pet or paying the utility bill, it seems to be no-brainier. That’s harsh,” he said. “It is in some sense a luxury good, but we do take our pets seriously here.
[Keeping a pet] is not cheap. Between vet bills and food it can add up to hundreds of dollars, which some people today cannot afford.” Snaith would rather call the current economic situation a pronounced slowdown instead of a recession as other economists are reporting. Between higher prices at the pump and inflated grocery bills, people are definitely feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks.
“It is not looking like the end of the world. It is still up in the air whether we are actually experiencing a recession. It is not like people are cooking their pets in order to eat,” he said. “We are starting to see a change in some behaviors — people are driving less, fuel-efficient-car sales are increasing and, in some instances, we are seeing the sale of non-fuel-efficient cars falling 40 percent. As we get deeper into this situation we see people are giving up more, but it is mostly things in their lives that will cause them minimal pain.”
Since the holidays, donations to Pet Rescue By Judy have been cut in half, Sarullo said. Last weekend she only adopted out a handful of dogs and cats at local PetSmart and PETCO stores. In the past, adopting out 20 pets was considered a bad week. “I have been nervous about the economy for a long time now.
There is not much I can do about it except try to stretch my dollars as much as I can,” she said. “I understand some people’s situations, but I encourage them to bring their pets somewhere safe. Do not leave them on the street to be hit by a car or in an abandoned home to starve.”
