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Article Archive > TOUGH ECONOMY HITS PETS TOUGH ECONOMY HITS PETS Even pets are suffering the economic blues. What was unthinkable for many Shore area pet owners just a year ago has become a fact of life: They can no longer afford to keep their pets. As the economy declines, the number of abandoned pets increases, say Monmouth County animal control officials, creating a burden for local animal shelters that often are the place of last resort for discarded pets. Proof that a weak economy is trickling down to animals can be seen in an uptick of dropoffs at the Eatontown shelter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Ocean County's northern and southern animal shelters. "We have people that come in, and they have all their possessions in the car," said Ursula Goetz, executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA. "They tell us that they tried to sleep in the car . . . hoping that they would find a place, but are now moving in with their relatives and they can't bring the pet." Ocean County health officials say they've also seen a big jump in abandoned pets and other animals brought to their shelters starting last fall. "There are more animals that animal control is picking up," said Leslie D. Terjesen, public information officer for the Ocean County Health Department. "They're all ages, and especially larger breed dogs." The reason, said Terjesen, is simple: the cost. "People are downsizing. They're moving into apartments where they can't have large dogs," Terjesen said. Perhaps the most extreme case of pet abandonment occurred in April when Barnegat resident Matthew Teymant, 30, was charged with animal cruelty after allegedly leaving 64 animals to die when he and his wife, Amanda, left their home. The SPCA on April 10 filed 24 civil charges of animal cruelty against each of them. Each charge carries a potential fine of between $250 and $1,000. Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief humane law enforcement officer at the Monmouth SPCA, who said he encounters abandoned animals daily, said the economic tailspin cuts a wide swath. "It's all over - it's rampant," Amato said. "There are people who can't pay their mortgage, let alone feed their animals." "The number of shelter dropoffs has definitely gone up," said SPCA development specialist Rich Devlin. "It's incredible, the number of hardship cases we've seen this year." And while the SPCA's goal is to help pets and their owners, Devlin said, "we are limited in what we can do. "We couldn't possibly meet all the demand for pet food that is out there." That demand seems to have reached some area food banks. "At some of our pantries, people have been asking for pet food," said Laurel King, agency relations coordinator for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean counties. "We don't normally see individuals coming in here directly, but we have had a handful come to ask if we had dog food or cat food available," King said. In Ocean County, the influx of discarded pets has prompted officials to set up free animal food pantries at the county's shelters in Jackson and Stafford. "We do have free cat and dog food available to folks who are suffering through some tough economic times," said Brian Lippai, manager of animal control facilities for the Ocean County Health Department. Donations from the two shelters' volunteer groups cover the cost for its free pet food. Pet owners are permitted to pick up one bag of cat or dog food per week. "If they are on any type of assistance, we're more than willing to offer them some food," Lippai said. "We stock up and it goes pretty quickly." Goetz of the Monmouth SPCA said many pets left with her shelter are older, making it more difficult to find them new homes. "It's a very sad situation for the family, for the animal and it is very difficult for our not-for-profit organization because there is no umbrella organization," Goetz said. An independent local nonprofit group, the Monmouth SPCA is not affiliated with a larger or national SPCA organization. With the number of discarded pets left on the rise, the SPCA's funding and donations are not. Goetz said the SPCA, which receives no federal or state funding, this year has seen its funding grant from the Monmouth County freeholders shrink to $8,500 from $25,000. The SPCA has been the beneficiary of financial grants from the Amboy National Bank Foundation for $1,000 and a $2,000 emergency fund grant from Gannett Foundation to help run their operation. However, the SPCA has gone through both grants, and public donations of money and food are down so far this year, Devlin said. As a vehicle to solicit donations, the SPCA created a "Wish List" on its Web site, www.monmouthcountyspca.org, that lists what items patrons can donate.
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