Great Recession has deepening impact on animals and shelters/rescue organizations:

Mike Arnold shows off two rescue dogs: German shepherds Kai (left) and Brio.

Many local and national animal shelters and rescue groups are seeing a decrease in the number of dogs and cats they can find homes for. At the same time, the groups are seeing a rise in the number of animals people want to give up.

The major cause? The recession.

The German Shepherd Rescue of Central New York, for example, normally finds homes for 60 dogs in a year, said Tami Evans, of Marietta, the group’s co-director. Ten months into this year, the group has been able to find homes for 38 dogs.

People giving up their German shepherds recently gave these reasons:

• Cannot afford the time and money of owning a dog.

• Lost my job and don’t have enough money to support a dog.

• Lost my home to foreclosure; moved into an apartment that doesn’t allow pets.

It’s the same story heard at many rescue groups around the country, said Linda Kury, president of the American German Shepherd Rescue Association. “The majority, if not all the local shepherd rescue groups, are experiencing the same problem,” Kury said. “Specifically with foreclosure and loss of jobs.”

More here.

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