Pets Left Behind by Foreclosure

Ohio Foreclosure & Real Estate News
The foreclosure crisis creates some unlikely victims in the Tri-State -- family pets. Animal rescuers are being called on more and more as homeowners facing foreclosure simply abandon their pets. A homeowner in the East End did just that -- leaving more than 60 cats to starve and suffer. Local 12's Lauren Bercarich has a look at the massive effort to save those animals.

Jeremy and Toddy are just two of the innocent victims of foreclosure. They are cats who were abandoned by an East End homeowner. Gail Silver runs a small rescue operation. She discovered dozens of cats, like Jeremy and Toddy, left to die at an East End home.

"They were under couches, jumping around everywhere. Most were sick and starving, it was horrible," Silver says.

Months later, these cats have been nursed back to health. Dozens were adopted, but a book still features profiles of all the foreclosure kitties still looking for a home.

"Because of economic conditions people are walking away from their obligations including their pets," says realtor Evelyn Black.

Around Cincinnati...you'll see the signs...of homes on the auction block.

"The bank comes in to clear the house, and these sick and starving animals are let out in the neighborhood to fend for themselves," Silver says.

But these cats have a bright future thanks to a lot of volunteers. Artists have leant their skills to the cause. They are depicting each foreclosure cat, and the money made from sale of their work pays the vet bills.

Today volunteers greeted cat lovers at the annual Cincinnati cat show where they found a home for Toddy.

"Their new moms love them to death...and they've all gotten to the point of being happy and healthy," Silver says.

The foreclosure statistics are staggering. In Ohio alone there are thousands of homeowners in trouble. But, we know this is a nationwide problem, and so is the problem of pets being left behind.

The Cincinnati Cat Show continues tomorrow at the Duke Energy Center...where you can meet some of the foreclosure cats, and if you're interested...take one home. You can also find a link to the Foreclosure Cats website on our homepage, just click the red Get It button.

Article Source http://www.local12.com/guides/petcare/story.aspx?content_id=e83fab1f-f485-45b9-844b-b9eb309d26a4