It’s not just in America that pets are being abandoned because of rising costs and home foreclosures. Britain’s pets are being affected as well:

Britain’s economic woes are forcing people to abandon animals in unprecedented
  numbers as desperate families struggle to cut costs by dumping their pets.
  Animal sanctuaries say they have been overwhelmed by the number of animals
  delivered to them in recent months as the credit crunch continues to bite
  and the cost of living rises sharply. They fear that the situation could
  become unmanageable if the downturn continues.

According to RSPCA records, the number of pets abandoned by their owners in
  2007 was 23 per cent higher than the previous year. And as the possibility
  of recession looms, the figures for the first quarter of this year suggest
  that the number of abandoned animals is continuing to rise. Last year,
  Britain’s leading animal charity was forced to rescue 7,346 animals
  abandoned by their owners. In the first four months of 2008, a further 2,621
  animals have been picked up. Almost half of all the animals abandoned were
  cats, the charity said.

And America is having the same problem, according to the article:

Kimberley Intino, of the Humane Society of the United States, said yesterday: "Many
  shelters are indeed seeing an increase in animal intake due to people losing
  their homes. However, it is not a uniform increase across all areas of the
  country. The hardest hit regions seem to be those where the economy and/or
  the real estate market had already been suffering."

Unfortunately, this is becoming a worldwide problem and it is one we must get control of. It is understandable that a person who is losing their home or can no longer afford to care for their animal, has to rehome that pet. However, there are measures that can be taken to prevent so many of these animals having to be rehomed.

First- and I know I harp on this all the time, but it’s important- spay and neuter your pets. There are low or no-cost spaying and neutering programs across the United States. (Sorry the link is US-centric, but that’s where I live, yo) By making sure your pet is not part of the overpopulation problem, you are saving other pets’ lives. Also, it is a lot more expensive to take care of the offspring of your pet than it is to just spay or neuter them in the first place.

Secondly, err on the side of caution when adding new pets to your home. I’d love to have a few more dogs, but I can safely afford the animals I have now. If I added any more pets in, I might get in an uncomfortable place if one or more of my pets got sick.

Finally, feed your pet the highest quality of food that you can afford. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but since I stopped feeding my asthmatic cat food with any corn, wheat, or soy, his asthma attacks were cut in half, which means MUCH fewer vet visits. I made the switch for my dog as well, and he seems much happier and healthier. Finding pet food without these items means I have to shop at a pet food store and not a grocery store for their food, but it is well worth the expense. Prevention is key.

Save an animal- your own.

Image: Brittney on Flickr’s totally not abandoned, spoiled rotten Tootie