May 18, 2008 (Chicago Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
via COMTEX) — – The trend of pets being shooed out the front door or
abandoned in forest preserves has put animal welfare officials on
notice that cash-strapped pet owners are in critical need of help.

“Obviously the goal is to keep these pets in the homes and out of
shelters,” said PAWS Chicago founder Paula Fasseas, whose organization
has deployed staff members to the Animal Care and Control lobby on
weekends to counsel people who are coming in to surrender their dogs
and cats.

Here are some ways to keep your pet and still be able to pay the rent.

Foster care

Having a friend, relative or neighbor take over the care of your pet
is better than relinquishing the animal. Not just for the animal, but
also for you and your family.

“Imagine the trauma [to children],” said Steve Dale, a Chicago pet
behavior consultant, syndicated columnist and radio host with a Sunday
night show on WGN-AM 720. “The more normalcy and consistency you can
provide to kids, the better. And to give up family members is the
exact opposite of what you want to do.”

If you can’t find someone to foster your pet, contact your local
shelter or a breed-specific rescue and ask about its foster program.

“Many of these humane societies want you to foster your own animal
while they look for a home,” said Kerry Vinkler, executive director of
DuPage County Animal Care and Control. “There is some time investment
involved, because they’d like you to bring your animal to, for
example, off-site adoption events so that the animal will have
exposure. But a lot of times that will give more exposure than you
[can give].”

PAWS Chicago has started a program for families losing their homes to
foreclosures. The group will get a pet into foster care for as long as
it takes for the family to get back on its feet, or if the family sees
no way to take the pet back, PAWS will get the animal into its
adoption program and will guarantee the life of the pet. (To
participate, contact Jessica Hoffman at 773-475-9462 or jhoffman@paws
chicago.org.)

Low-cost medical care

Don’t neglect your pet’s health needs because of an inability to pay.
Veterinarians are often open to compromise.

“I know cases of vets who’ve been pretty creative,” Dale said.
“They’ll say, ‘I know you’re out of work; I’ll give you a job.’ Or,
‘You’ve been with me 10 years. You can pay it out over two years’ time
and I won’t charge you interest.’ I can’t guarantee every veterinarian
would do that under every circumstance, but I don’t think compassion
has to be diametric to making a living.”

If you and your vet can’t make some financial arrangement, numerous
organizations offer low-cost pet care.

“People need to shop around for veterinary service,” said Charles
Craft, supervising animal-care clerk at Chicago’s Animal Care and
Control facility. “If you’re just looking for shots, PetSmart and
Petco and others have low-cost offers.”

Also of note:

–Chicago’s Animal Care and Control (312-747-1406) offers low-cost
spay/neuter, microchipping and vaccination programs.

–PAWS Chicago’s Lurie Spay and Neuter Clinic (pawschicago.org) in
Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood offers reduced-cost spay and
neuter surgery, heartworm testing, vaccinations, virus testing, flea
treatment and chipping. Call 773-521-7729 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday.

–Chicago’s Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org) has a clinic
designed for pet owners whose family income falls below the poverty
level. Call 312-644-8338 for details on services and qualification
criteria.

–PAWS in Tinley Park (pawstinleypark.org, 815-464-7298) has
certificates for low-cost spaying and neutering at certain animal
hospitals, and the National Animal Welfare Society of the U.S.
(nawsus.org) has a Mokena clinic where pet owners can find low-cost
spaying/neutering services, vaccines and microchipping. NAWS also goes
on the road, offering its services at shelters in the Chicago area. To
make an appointment, call 708-478-5102.

–Also nationally, the American Animal Hospital Association has its
Helping Pets Fund (aahahelpingpets.org), which provides financial
assistance at AAHA-accredited veterinarians for emergency and
non-elective care for those in financial distress.

Food and incidentals

When money’s tight, think about generic pet foods.

“I’m not a proponent of generic pet food generally,” Dale said. “But
if it’s [American Feed Control Officials] approved, and 99 percent of
what’s on the market is, that’s another way to save money.”

Also, pet shelters receive donations of food that they’ll often pass
on to food pantries. So check the shelves of your neighborhood food
pantry.

The Animal Welfare League (animalwelfareleague.com) has its Pet Food
Pantry Program. From noon to 3 p.m. on the last Thursday of every
month, qualified pet owners can get a month’s worth of free cat and/or
dog food at 6224 S. Wabash Ave. Persons looking for help must have a
photo ID and proof that they’re over 60 or on Social Security,
Medicare, Medicaid or public aid. Call 773-667-0088.

Play time

So now your pet is healthy and well-fed. Let’s make sure he’s happy,
too, with some toys.

A dog’s best friend is a tennis ball. It’s as simple as they come and
provides hours of entertainment. And you don’t even have to buy one.

“You can go to any of the tennis courts,” Dale said. “Go right after
the courts close at 6, 7, 8 at night, and I guarantee you will find
tennis balls.”

Another idea, assuming your dog doesn’t ingest plastic: Take a gallon
milk jug (cleaned out, of course), remove the top and drop some small
treats in it. The dog will bat it around–noisy but entertaining--to
get to the goodies.

You can also make your own cat toy. Something as simple as a tightly
wadded piece of 8-by-10 paper can be knocked around the floor by a
cat. Make a cat fishing rod–tie a feather to a piece of string, then
attach it to a thin stick and flick it in front of your cat.

General tips

–If you need a place to live, contact your local shelter for a list
of pet-friendly housing.

–If you absolutely must give up your pet, don’t turn it loose. Call a
shelter, call a breed rescue. In Chicago, dial 311 and Animal Care and
Control will even pick up your pet. Just don’t let it run off.

“They’re coming into a shelter and they’re treated with compassion, no
matter what their outcome,” Vinkler said. “But leaving an animal to
fend for itself, be abandoned after it’s been a domesticated animal,
is completely unfair to the animal.”

–Don’t leave a pet behind when you move out.

“Where there’s an eviction or a foreclosure,” Vinkler said, “families
will sometimes leave a pile of food and some water. But by law the
banks can’t come in right away, and the landlords can’t come in right
away. So they don’t. … It’s a terribly cruel situation.”

–For those on solid financial footing, be proactive. Take your
animals in for regular exams. A small health issue won’t become a big
one if it’s caught early. Get pet insurance.

And put aside a little money out of each paycheck–as you would for a
college fund for a kid–to have just in case the bad economy jumps up
and bites you and your pet.