People aren’t the only ones suffering during the current economic crisis: Many pets are being abandoned by families who’ve lost their homes due to foreclosure, and many more are being left at shelters by owners who can no longer afford to feed them. But families on the edge may be able to keep their pets with a little help from a new program by The Humane Society of the United States (Washington).

The new HSUS program provides grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 to animal shelters, rescue groups and animal-control agencies to help them expand existing programs to help struggling families care for their pets.

“With more and more individuals and families facing an uncertain financial future, shelters and rescue groups have their own struggle to respond to the rise in animals being brought to their doors and people seeking help from them in other ways,” said Stephanie Shain, director of outreach for companion animals at HSUS. “This grant program will help those organizations help more people and pets in their communities.”

She added, “No one likes the thought of leaving their pet at a shelter, but if you can’t take them with you, it is so much more humane than leaving them in an apartment or a house to fend for themselves. Too many animals die alone this way every year, even in good economic times. If people are absolutely unable to care for a pet any longer, they should take him or her to their local animal shelter or animal-control agency. The shelter can provide food and housing while they try to locate a new home.”

Some retailers are taking matters into their own hands: George Blake, manager of Ewert’s Pets in Niles, Mich., in March put himself on a 40-day hunger strike to raise awareness about the plight of abandoned animals.

“[In February,] someone in Ilesperia, Calif., abandoned 200 reptiles in one home,” he said. “All it would have taken was a call to a local pet shop to find them homes, but instead after the owner lost the home to foreclosure, the home and the animals were abandoned. I don’t want that to happen in this area, so I am accepting unwanted pet reptiles, birds and fish at Ewert’s Pets.

“Animal abandonment is serious since the animal could die and the person dumping the animal could be charged with a felony in Michigan,” he continued.

For more information, visit www.humanesociety.org/foreclosurepets. [June 2008 PET AGE]