Times have been tough and foreclosures are at an all time high.  This recent phenomenon is not only effecting homeowners,  it’s leaving their furry companions at risk as well. The possibility of 2-4 million Americans facing the loss of their home equates to about 1 1/4 million companion animals potentially being homeless.

Eddie, one of my favorite newshounds, dug up a story on No Paws Left Behind. It’s an organization dedicated to becoming the voice of these pets.

No Paws Left Behind, Inc. is a focus driven not for profit organization, designed to bring awareness to all communities the silent victims of foreclosure who have no voice or rights to implement change. As a united front, we will restore moral obligations toward all pets that have the potential to be, or have been, left behind to suffer needlessly.

We further pledge to act as a support group for those who find foreclosure imminent and need help to find shelter for their beloved pets; be a resource for those who find or know of abandoned pets; and last, but by no means least, we must unite to end the needless suffering by creating a national movement targeting lawmakers to change the laws categorizing pets as personal property.

A big thanks to No Paws Left Behind who is trying to keep these pets from becoming throwaways.  If you want to donate a  $10, tax deductible, donation it will help keep these animals safe and will also get you a very cute gift.  There are four different gifts to choose from, no cheesy stuff, and all donations go to ensure that no paws are left behind.

While most of us realize the impact on the families left behind when a loved one in the military is deployed,   many don’t think about the pets left behind.

NetPets, founded by Steve Albin and endorsed by the Department of Defense, matches people willing to care for pets to deploying service members in need of their generosity.

It’s easy to assume that there is always family or a friend to leave their beloved pet with,  but that’s not always the case.

“I had people tell me how service members called up for the first Gulf War had just three options: giving their pets away, putting them in shelters or abandoning them,” Albin said. “More than 25,000 pets were destroyed. What kind of way is that for us to repay the people who protect and serve us?”

Steve is right,  those men and women that are serving our country, the last thing they should be burdened with is worrying about who is going to care for their beloved pet.

So far, his free service has placed some 12,500 pets into foster homes since he began the project two days after the 9/11 attacks, Albin said by telephone last week from South Carolina.

Steve stated “He gets 20 to 50 calls a week in CONUS (continental United States), but that right now he had no one available in Europe.”

People wishing to help out can sign up by clicking the Military Pets Foster Project tab on the netpets.org homepage. The site contains a form establishing what kind of pets the potential foster home can accommodate.

We salute you Steve, for a job well done.

Here’s an article on what’s being done to help family pets in the flooding that’s occurring in Iowa.

As the situation deteriorated, flood victims, many staying in hotels, shelters or cars, began dropping off pets at the college. Others, who had been forced to flee without their pets, began calling in with pleas for their animals to be rescued. Within days, what had started as a makeshift shelter had grown into a sprawling operation housing nearly 1,000 animals — dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, lizards, even a red-eared slider turtle — in three buildings.

With the influx of animals came an infusion of aid. Several national chain stores donated supplies. Veterinary technicians came from as far away as California to volunteer, and legions of veterinarians, groomers and even flood victims soon arrived at the shelter wanting to help.

It’s great to see people and organizations aiding those affected in the region. Also nice to see is that we are learning from past disasters.

One of the lessons driven home after Hurricane Katrina — in which an estimated 200,000 animals were displaced — was that some residents risked, and lost, their lives rather than leave a beloved pet behind.

“The biggest thing learned by everyone from Katrina is the importance of animals in people’s lives,” said Diane Webber, disaster preparedness director for the Humane Society of the United States. “They can’t be excluded from disaster planning and response. People aren’t going to function and they’re not going to evacuate if their animals aren’t provided for.”

Still, there’s much pain and sorrow inflicted by the persistent rains. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for many an owner-pet reunion in the near future.