When Pets Are Forgotten

The plight of the housing market as it pertains to the record number of foreclosures continues to worsen and has expanded to include the most undeserving of innocent bystanders.

What you are about to read is truly disturbing and what I hope will be an awakening for those who will never have to experience the disdain and emptiness that accompanies these chance encounters.

Recently I arranged an appointment with a client to tour a home which was listed for sale on the active market and my preliminary research showed that the residence was a foreclosure. Almost all such properties are marketed with language that states the home offers no disclosures and is being sold “as is”.

It is always wise to inform the client that these homes are usually unkempt and may actually be in a major state of disrepair but nothing could have prepared us for what atrocities we were to discover on this particular day.

I find it wise to arrive in advance of the prescribed meeting time so that I may preview the home in the spirit of gaining familiarity, the lay of the land, so to speak and when I arrived at this particular location my first objective was to open up the home and make a cursory inspection.

Almost immediately my sense of smell was accosted by an acidic odor which I recognized as animal waste and one which I had witnessed many times before. Often times a wild animal such as a raccoon or other such creature will gain access to a vacant home but this, however, was more familiar. This was definitely a domestic animal and as I entered the home it was evident that the previous occupant took pride in trashing this once proud home.

There was trash, clothes, tires, and broken furniture strewn all over the house and hiding in one of the closets was the sole remaining occupant. Scared, confused, and starving this completely trusting little girl came out to greet me.

This poor soul was left behind with no food or water and clearly with no regard for her welfare. You could count her ribs and her beautiful eyes appeared sunken and sallow but her spirit remained unbroken.

Just as we were getting to know one another, my clients drove up and I introduced them to my new friend. They were completely shocked, as was I, and I cannot even remember showing them the home as my thoughts were engaged with saving this little victim and broadcasting this atrocity to all who would listen.

This story ends well as I was able to re-hydrate and feed her and ultimately had her placed with a rescue organization but it made me wonder how many other such cases like this must exist.
I mean, how does the human condition allow some of us to punish our beloved pets for our own shortcomings and failures? Economics do not dictate that one abandon all of their commitments just because they are suffering financial hardship.

Such experiences might easily cause one to question the state of humanity but I choose to focus those negative thoughts on a more positive platform of awareness.

This particular victim was a mixed breed dog but it could have easily have been a cat or any other type of domesticated creature.

The call to action is to simply get involved. Donate to a pet rescue organization or act as a foster family for lost or abandoned animals.

If you are in the housing service industry or even an unsuspecting potential homeowner and you should bear witness to such an event, do something positive.

Help those who cannot help themselves and tell everyone that you know about this.

Spread the word!