Why are Jesse and Dominic in this suburban animal shelter? Behind bars? Caged? And up for adoption?
Former dog owner"I couldn't even look at them, it was, they were looking at me like, what are you doing to us, where are you going?"
This man still considers them his beloved boxers… keeps their snapshot in his cell phone, but recently he was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to give them up.
Housing costs, gas prices, food prices, four children, two dogs were just too much.
Former dog owner "It was like having to give up a member of the family. It wasn't easy."
It happened to "Luke" It happened to "Charlie", across the state, cats and dogs being surrendered to shelters in record numbers, because their owners can't afford them.
Here in East Brookfield such calls have doubled and tripled.
Sheryl Brackley, Second Chance Animal Shelter, Inc., East Brookfield, MA "Every shelter I'm talking to is saying the same thing."
This shelter had so many new arrivals they had to bring in temporary cages.
Sheryl Brackley, Second Chance Animal Shelter, Inc., East Brookfield, MA "A lot of them are in tears. They are moving into apartments and the apartments are not taking the animals."
This Medford shelter is so crowded they cannot handle one more cat. The waiting list has a waiting list.
Marie Mazzeo, Kitty Connection, Inc., Medford, Massachusetts "Now we are literally getting phone calls from the owners of the pets begging us to take the cats in because they can't afford them and they don't want to send them into kill shelters."
The MSPCA numbers prove the sagging economy is claiming four legged victims. They say, in some shelters surrenders are up 300 per cent.
Meagan Rock, MSPCA "Clearly the foreclosure crisis is something that's affecting pets."
Making it more a crisis, more animals being surrendered, like Draco and Luke, mean more animals need to be adopted, but shelters tell us fewer families are adopting them. The cost of food and vet bills pushing families to the breaking point.
Meagan Rock, MSPCA "People are facing financial troubles so they are not as apt to add new responsibilities."
Tanking home values, the credit crunch and rising prices economic realities that mean some of these little faces won't get a new home anytime soon.
Sheryl Brackley, Second Chance Animal Shelter, Inc., East Brookfield, MA "It's devastating for all of us."
What's more, shelters say they often rely on donations, but now they tell us there's less money coming in to support the pets they care for. For more info on how to adopt a pet or how to surrender one instead of abandoning it-check our website.
For more information on the dogs and cats you saw in this report that need homes, how to donate, become a foster home or volunteer, click here:
The former owner of the pair of boxers shown in this report says he would love to see them adopted out to a new home together, as they do very well as a pair.
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