Abandoned pets are pet

Pet

A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...

s that are, for instance, left behind when a home goes into foreclosure or their owner passes away

Death

Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....

. These animals can be left alone on the property or dropped off at a shelter. While some are left in a shelter, they are typically discovered after the foreclosure process when the realtor or bank enters the home. Realtors and banks often find these animals in poor condition due to lack of resources such as food and water. The number of abandoned pets has increased as a result of the unemployment and other economic effects of the financial crisis of 2007–2010.

Abandonment

Pets are abandoned for a variety of reasons. Often, when abandoned, pets are forced to fend for themselves, and become feral. In particular, cats often join colonies, while dogs enter packs. Feral cats are said to outnumber feral dogs. Feral cats are difficult to deal with, as often they become impossible to socialize enough to be re-introduced to a new human owner. In general, only newly abandoned cats and very young feral kittens can be tamed.

Foreclosure pets

Currently the exact number of foreclosure pets is unknown. People often drop animals off at a shelter and claim they are moving, when in fact they are leaving due to foreclosure. However, it is expected the numbers are climbing due to high foreclosure rates. As homeowners run out of time and options, they often leave their animals behind. The animals are then classified as abandoned foreclosure pets.

The pets left behind in homes are often left without food or water. Some do not survive because of the lack of resources and are found dead when realtors or banks enter the premises. The animals are put in harm's way, and it is often believed it is done as a way to retaliate against those who took the home away.

Pets are not able to survive in the wild without resources, which means they are at a disadvantage whenever they are left without humans to watch over them. Many are left to starve or become dehydrated.

Shelters

There is currently an overcrowding at shelters which has led to 50% of all incoming animals to be euthanized. Shelters have run out of adequate space for their animals, and that has caused euthanasia rates to increase. The shelters do not have the resources to fight back against the increase in animals. Thus, pet owners that choose to drop a pet off at a shelter are only giving that pet a 50% chance of survival. While 50% of abandoned pets are euthanized, another fifty percent are adopted or end up in no kill shelters. Those that take their pet to a shelter give their pet a better chance, even though only half of pets are adopted. Unless animal shelters are able to raise more money to take care of these animals, the mortality rate will remain high. Shelters are unable to provide for the animals coming in, and they have no choice but to euthanize them, sometimes within days. The increased number of abandoned pets has put a great deal of stress on animal shelters.