I remember in December getting a call from a woman who was in the pre-foreclosure frustration process, and she was trying to find a place to rent (hopefully to later own) where she could bring her two dogs and three cats. Her husband had lost his job, they were behind on their payments on their home, and now they had to find a place to move to….most had rules about animals and she was really getting worried. What the place looked like and even where it was located meant far less than if she could keep her family together.

The shelters are seeing most of the evidence of this problem. What do you do when relatives have offered to take you in but their children are allergic to your animals? You are grateful and heartbroken at the same time. Some people have larger animals whose care and feeding has now become too expensive, or the caretaker has had to go back to work. Although I did find feeding the dog a lot less challenging to my confused mind than feeding myself. Open the bag, pour it in the bowl. There were times I wondered….could it possibly be palatable for humans?….It would make life so much easier right now! Often I would get home from the store with a bunch of ingredients that didn’t even make a meal, and I found I really craved comfort food….homemade mac and cheese, pot roast….things I couldn’t possibly have time to make. I had to worry every day about trying to happen upon a buyer who was looking for a home in the near future, or I wouldn’t be able to pay for anything shortly. This was a time I wished I had a job where I could just show up, do the work and get paid. Being creative and upbeat about new business was a stretch right now!

Anyway, the animal dilemma is another one that is gut-wrenching for many families, and involves looking for another home for the beloved pet at a time when the kids are going through so much upheaval that snuggling with Fido would really be a blessing. Some of us are fortunate to be able to keep them, but for those who cannot, I have incredible empathy for you right now, and I also hope that those who can, reach out to their shelters for these loved and achingly surrendered pets.