subject: What Can Realtors ® Do When They Find a Foreclosure Pet? [print this page] What Can Realtors Do When They Find a Foreclosure Pet?
The tragedy of foreclosure pets has been documented by many people in the last few years, as the U.S. experiences unprecedented levels of job loss and foreclosure. The reprehensible practice of abandoning pets in abandoned homes is still alive and well, but there are people and groups who can help Realtors who meet with these unhappy animals to help them reach a place of safety and care.
During delinquency inspections, check the house for signs of pet occupation. Look in windows, make noise, and listen for barking or meowing that might indicate an animal present. Check with neighbors to see if the former owners/occupiers of the home had pets.
The first thing that one must keep in mind when they find a foreclosure pet is that the animal may be starving, dehydrated, territorial or just plain aggressive. This can result in an unpleasant situation if the Realtor tries to enter the property or approach the pet. Always exercise caution in a foreclosure to ensure that any animals left behind know you're there. If they are friendly, be aware that they might be carrying parasites or react unexpectedly even after you think they're okay with you being in "their" home.
The best resource for Realtors is usually the local shelter or SPCA. The American Humane Association has authorized grants to be given to local shelters to help them treat and maintain animals directly affected by foreclosure. The local animal control agency and/or your local district attorney can aid you with saving pets from homes where you cannot legally enter. Animal control can legally investigate situations where an animal does not have food or water or shelter.
Once an inspection is complete and it is ascertained that the pet is in distress, the animal control officer can ask for a search warrant that both allows them to enter the premises and seize any animal therein. The animal will then be taken to the shelter and properly cared for and housed. If the pet owner does not return in the time period before the mortgage lender can legally seize the home, the animal shelter can place the pets for adoption and start proceedings for animal-cruelty charges for the owner.
It may be abhorrent for some to take steps that may end up in an animal's being put to sleep due to lack of a home, but a quick death at the end of a needle is much preferable to a slow death of starvation and dehydration. You can't save them all, but you can publicize your own experiences with foreclosure pets in your local newspaper, on your website and your blog. Let people know that there is a problem with people abandoning their pets with their mortgage and you will have done a lot to help make others aware of this problem and enlist their support for foreclosure pets.
