Email Karin for more information about the program or to sign up! Karin@buildproof.com

As the number of home foreclosures escalates, many distressed homeowners are left with one more difficult task - giving up their pets.

People often find themselves in smaller rental homes or apartments after losing their home, and many of those rentals do not allow pets.

Many owners take their animals to shelters, hoping their pets will find new homes. Others simply move without their pets, leaving them behind in the backyard or abandoning them on the side of the road.

“Foreclosure pets,” as they’ve come to be known, have dramatically increased the number of animals in shelters across the Valley. The Arizona Humane Society has received more than 1,000 abandonment calls this year, nearly double the number at this time last year.

Other Valley shelters and rescues have reported significant increases because of foreclosures, as well.

“We have people come in crying,” said Aprille Hollis, a spokeswoman with Maricopa County Animal Care & Control, a county-run agency. “They’re heartbroken. They don’t want to give up their animal, but when you’re struggling to feed your family, you have to make a choice.”

Foreclosures in metropolitan Phoenix continued to rise in May, with 3,402 foreclosures filed, up more than 14 percent from April, according to the Information Market.

Shelters across the nation also are seeing an increase, according to the Humane Society of the United States, which has no affiliation with the Arizona Humane Society.

The problem is most acute where foreclosures are common and the general economy is struggling. States such as Arizona, California and Florida are being inundated with foreclosed homes, and subsequently, their animal shelters are being flooded with pets.

Many shelters are also seeing more requests for help with medical and food costs for pets, and County Animal Control has noticed an increase in strays.

The economic conditions have had such an effect on shelters that the Humane Society of the United States started a foreclosure fund specifically to help shelters cope with all the displaced animals. The grants range from $500 to $2,000.

Already crowded shelters are bracing for more pets: Litter season runs from about May through July, which means that shelters take in double, or even triple, the amount of puppies and kittens than during the rest of the year.

“Normally I get maybe 10 e-mails a week,” said Dee Alschuler, intake coordinator with Paw Placement. “Now, I’m seeing close to 20 to 30 e-mails a week.”

Paw Placement, based in Scottsdale, is a no-kill organization that works to prevent the euthanasia of animals. Alschuler works with pet foster homes and other shelters to rescue animals.

“Some days I just don’t even want to answer the phone because I know it’s just going to be another intake that I’ll have to turn down,” Alschuler said.

County Animal Control is taking in about 200 animals every day, a result of the increase in abandonment coupled with litter season.

During the off-season for litters, it takes in anywhere from 800 to 1,000 in an average month, Hollis said.

“We’ve got a very small amount of breathing room at the moment,” Hollis said.

County Animal Control has euthanized more than 10,000 animals since January.

Animals who do not arrive in perfect health are classified as either “treatable” or “unhealthy and untreatable.” Treatable animals could live satisfactory lives with medical or behavioral treatment. Unhealthy and untreatable animals are those that are unlikely to become healthy, even with treatment, and are usually put down.

Although it has not euthanized any healthy animals in two years, County Animal Control puts down thousands of animals each year that are considered treatable.

Last year, County Animal Control put down more than 30,000 animals.

“It’s a horrible, horrible number,” Hollis said of the animals that had faced euthanasia. “And it’s not going to get better until the community changes.”

Rescuers agree that spaying and neutering is an important responsibility for pet owners because it decreases accidental litters and backyard breeding, which add to the space issues that shelters are already facing.

“If the community would become more responsible with spaying and neutering or taking care of their animals, we wouldn’t have to put animals down,” Hollis said.

For those fearing the loss of a pet, rescuers suggest thinking of alternative options before turning to a shelter. This includes asking family and friends for help.

Kimberly Cole, a real-estate agent with Signature Realty Group in Tempe, helps people find rentals that will allow them to keep their pets when they are forced to downsize.

“There are options out there,” Cole said. “There are rentals out there that will let you keep your dogs. You just have to be responsible.”

Cole has rescued animals left behind after foreclosures. Two of her dogs are victims of abandonment.

One of Cole’s foreclosure rescues was tossed out of a car near the Santan Mountains. The dog’s original owners had lost their home and could no longer keep her.

“The dog was running after the car,” Cole said. “It happens every day. It’s so sad.”

The Buildproof Buddies program is an active effort to encourage the adoption of pets at animal rescue shelters across the valley.
According to The Humane Society of the United States, 6-8 million pets enter shelters each year while only 3-4 million leave with loving families. Only 18% of family pets are adopted from pet shelters. While over 3 million pets are euthanized each year due to over-population of U.S. animal shelters. Buildproof Buddies’ goal is to reduce, and one day eliminate, pet euthanization due to shelter overpopulation.

What you can do to help:

Simply sign up for a particular week and you will be given email and flyer templates as well as assigned a sweet animal that needs a loving home. Your job, for one week, is to:

1. send the email to everyone you think might be interested in either adopting the pet or donating to the Arizona Friends of Animal Care and Control and encourage them to keep forwarding the email until the animal is adopted

2. post flyers at various pet stores and neighborhoods in your community

If you cannot adopt an animal or make a donation at this time, please forward this information to all of your friends, family, co-workers and fellow pet-lovers. You and your community’s involvement is vital to the lives of these loving animals.
Together we can provide secure homes for our furry friends!

For more information or if you’d like to sign up to be a Buddy sponsor, email Karin@buildproof.com.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Keep your pets inside tonight. Fireworks scares most animals, causing them to act differently than they normally would.So don’t bring them to fireworks displays and it’s way to hot them in the car! This weekend is going to get hot hot hot! Remember to provide your animals with cool water and often!

If your animal does run away amid all the excitement, visit MCACC locations every few days and check pets911.com.  Chances are they were scared from the loud noises and went to hide!

Buildproof wishes everyone a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Interested in finding out what Buildproof Buddies is all about? Email Karin@Buildproof.com!

Know all about Buildproof Buddies and want to sign up? Email Karin@buildproof.com!

-a giant image of what the earth looks like at night
-a site that shows you (in real time) what hundreds of satellites are seeing right now as they orbit the earth
-a list of the 20 most ridiculous photoshop errors in advertising
-an aerial picture of the Pyramids of Giza
-a step by step guide to eating a pomegranate
-the website for an underwater hotel in China
-a photo gallery of the World Beard and Mustache Championships

So what can you do? Click the link below to add Buildproof Buddies to the Stumble application. The more clicks we get, the more likely the Buddies page will appear as someone is ‘Stumbling’ through the internet!

Our goal is always to maximize the exposure we can get to raise awareness for the thousands of animals in shelters across the country. Raising awareness via Buildproof Buddies and applications like ‘Stumble’ will hopefully bring us closer to reducing and one day eliminating ‘healthy kills’ in shelters.

Click here to Stumble Buildproof Buddies!!!! Stumble It!

As the floodwaters start to subside in the Midwest, veterinarians are assessing their losses while continuing to aid animals.

In Iowa, thousands of residents evacuated their homes as rivers rose. Dr. Tom Johnson, executive director of the Iowa VMA, said the Iowa Veterinary Rapid Response Team mobilized early on to help establish temporary animal shelters.

In Cedar Rapids, a temporary shelter at Kirkwood Community College accepted hundreds of pets—mostly dogs and cats—from both evacuees and disaster responders. Iowa City Animal Care was accepting dogs and cats at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, also the site of a Red Cross shelter, as floodwaters reached its adoption center.

Dr. Johnson said veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary students, and veterinary technician students were volunteering at the shelters. Companies donated food, drugs, and other supplies while humane organizations rescued animals that evacuees left behind. Dr. Johnson believes most people were able to evacuate with their pets. People also evacuated numerous horses and some cattle and hogs.

“I think everybody’s stepped up,” Dr. Johnson said. “Given the magnitude of the disaster, I think animals fared as well as you could expect.”

Some veterinarians did sustain property damage. As of June 23, Dr. Johnson had learned that flooding reached a clinic in Des Moines and that a clinic in Mason City and another in Cedar Falls sustained damage. The Iowa VMA sent out application forms for grants from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation to restore veterinary infrastructure.

In Indiana, another state with severe flooding, several veterinarians reported damage to their clinics or homes. Lisa Perius, executive director of the Indiana VMA, said the VMA forwarded information about AVMF grants and was working with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health to arrange a supply of flea medication for temporary shelters.

Denise Derrer, public information director for the board of animal health, said the state agency has coordinated with local agencies and private practitioners on animal issues. Veterinarians with Indiana’s Animal Surveillance Emergency Response Team have helped coordinate temporary shelters for companion animals.

In Wisconsin and Illinois, the Wisconsin Animal Response Corps and Illinois Veterinary Emergency Response Team stood ready to assist animals but didn’t receive any requests for help from local agencies. Down the Mississippi River, in Missouri, the floodwaters were not rising as high as residents had feared.

Take Care of Pets During Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is right around the corner. While it is a very exciting day for you and your family, another member of your family can get very frightened – your pets. The loud noises can cause your dog or cat to act differently than they normally would. Fourth of July celebrations also start well before the Fourth, so check with your city to see when they will be holding celebrations.

Do not leave your pets outside, even if you normally do. The different events that day can cause your normally calm pet to try to escape. He may try to dig under the fence or even jump over it when frightened. If you normally keep your dog tied up, he could strangle himself trying to get away.

You do not know how your pets may act, so play it safe. Keep them inside the house in a safe, secure room. Turn on a fan, the radio or even the television to drown out any unusual noises. It may be a good idea to keep them in a room without windows. Some animals can become destructive when frightened and you don’t want them trying to go through the window. If you know your pet gets anxious, consult with your vet about other options that may be available.

Do not take your pet with you to a fireworks display, not even if you are going to leave her in the car. Not only can the noise and lights unnerve her and make her try to escape, a car in summer in Arizona is too hot. 

More animals are lost Fourth of July weekend than any other time of year. Be sure your dog or cat has an appropriate fitting collar and that they are wearing it. Your dog should have his dog license attached to the collar and your cat should have an id tag attached with your information on it. If your pet does get lost, visit both of MCACC’s Animal Care Centers every couple of days. Post your pet’s information around the neighborhood and online at http://www.pets911.com as well. 

All new Buildproof Buddies are available that need sponsors and loving homes for next week! Email to sign up!

Upcoming Events
Sat. June 21st 9:00am-1:00pm at the PetsMart on Scottsdale and Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale
Sun. June 21st 9:00am-1:00pm at the PetsMart on Scottsdale and Frank Lloyd Wright in Scottsdale
Sat. June 28th 9:00am-1:00pm at the PetsMart on N. Tatum and E. Shea Blvd. in Phoenix
Sun. June 29th 9:00am-1:00pm at the PetsMart on N. Tatum and E. Shea Blvd. in Phoenix

Buildproof Buddy: [bild-proof+buhd-ee] -noun 1. an animal at the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control who needs a loving home. These poor guys are usually the animals that people tend to overlook when searching for a pet to adopt.

Buildproof Buddy Sponsor: [bild-proof+buhd-ee+spon-ser] -noun 1. someone who volunteers to commit one week to making an active effort to finding a home for a Buddy (see “Buildproof Buddy") through the sending of pre-generated emails to their co-workers, family, and friends.

Buddy Email Template [buhd-ee+ee-meyl+tem-plit] -noun 1. a pre-generated email consisting of information and a picture of a “Buildproof Buddy”.

Forward [fawr-werd] -verb 1. to pass on the “Buddy Email Template” to co-workers, family, and friends; each successive forward magnifying the possibility of finding a loving home for that Buddy!

Don’t see the term you’re looking for? Email for additional listings

MCACC operates two, full service Animal Care Centers and One Cat Adoption Center that provide valuable services to the entire valley. Our full service Animal Care Centers offer shelter for lost and stray animals, adoption services (including counseling), animal licensing, rabies vaccinations and more. MCACC also has a premier cat-only adoption facility. The center features state of the art, interactive cat condominiums, providing comfortable living spaces for the felines while improving the view for people who want to adopt.

MCACC’s newest facilities in West Phoenix feature a beautiful campus where you can visit and view potential additions to the family!

Check out MCACC’s newest facilities in West Phoenix!

While you’re there, look for the ‘Hi, I’m a Buildproof Buddy’ signs to see which animals Buildproof Buddies is working to find loving homes!!

West Valley Animal Care Center
2500 S. 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85009
(27th Ave/Lower Buckeye)
602-506-PETS

MCACC’s other excellent facilities:

East Valley Animal Care Center
2630 W. 8th Street
Mesa, AZ 85201
(8th Street/Loop 101)
602-506-PETS

Hours: Monday Friday:
Adoptions, lost & found: 11:00 A.M. - 5:30 P.M.
All other services: 9:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Saturday - All services: 11:00 A.M. - 5:30 P.M.
Sunday - All services: 12:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Cat Adoption Center
5231 N. 35th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85017
(35th Ave/Missouri)
602-506-PETS

Hours: Wednesdays Fridays: 11:00 a.m 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.
The Cat Adoption Center will be closed on the following dates: February 17, 2008; March 2, 2008; March 9, 2008; March 23, 2008; March 30, 2008

MCACC does not accept owner surrenders on Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays

MCACC Runs Summer Adoption Special

– It’s only mid-Spring and already Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) is being overrun. One day last week, they got in over 60, mostly very young kittens. The kittens get sent to foster care until they are old enough to be adopted and then they join the already many adults cats at the shelters. When you add the puppies that are coming through the shelter doors as well, the adult dogs and cats get overlooked and have to spend more time in the shelter, making them susceptible to illness. And then there’s all the larger dogs getting turned in and found running the streets.

Starting May 1 and running through the end of August, MCACC will offer a hot summer special. As the temperatures, rise, the adoption fees are going down. Cats six months and older will be available to a good home for $25. Dogs over 40 pounds will be available to a good home for $50. This price includes their spay/neuter surgery, rabies vaccination and for dogs, a County dog license. Each potential adopter will have to fill out an Adoption Questionnaire to ensure the best match possible. While supplies last, each cat will come with a kitty bed and every dog will come with a training DVD.

Dr. Rodrigo Silva, MCACC Director believes the special is a must-do to save lives. “It is heartbreaking to see the number of animals coming through our door every day.  Tubs and boxes filled with kittens, dogs on ropes and chains.  Their owners cannot keep them for multitude of reasons and they look at us as their last resort.  We are reducing adoption prices to give these animals a better chance to find new homes.”

Come visit the sweet cats and dogs looking for a new home and love. MCACC has two full service shelters and one Cat Adoption center.

2500 S. 27th Avenue, Phoenix (West Valley Animal Care Center)

2630 W. 8th Street, Mesa (East Valley Animal Care Center)

5231 N. 35th Avenue, Phoenix (Cat Adoption Center)

If you can’t adopt, MCACC is always looking for more foster families, especially at this time of year. For more information on how to become a foster parent, visit http://www.pets.maricopa.gov or call 602-506-PETS.