Pets Left Behind and Forgotten – Victims of Foreclosure
They can't speak for themselves: poor defenseless animals abandoned and left behind in foreclosed homes. It's a bigger issue than people realize, a serious consequence of the foreclosure nightmare.
Many homeowners do consider turning their pets into animal shelters, but due to overpopulation at many shelters, almost half of incoming animals are euthanized. Heartless homeowners sometimes leave pets in their abandoned homes without food or water, not to mention a non-temperature-controlled environment. Veterinarians say a dog or cat will become dehydrated within 24 hours without water and could die a slow, painful death within a few days.
California was once one of the worst places to experience foreclosure, but now it is a model state for giving homeowners a a fair shake against their mortgage lenders. One single piece of legislation is responsible for this change; that legislation is the Homeowner Bill of Rights. California's Homeowner Bill of Rights formally took effect at the beginning of 2013. According to the California Attorney General's Office, the Bill of Rights "ensures fair lending and borrowing practices for California homeowners... these laws are designed to guarantee fairness and transparency for homeowners within the foreclosure process."
