Facing foreclosure on your home can be frightening; typically, the initial response is to panic as your basic instincts will dominate your senses and override your reason. In times of crisis, most people will do anything to save themselves to the point of abandoning their pets. However, when you've lost your home, you don't need to leave your pets behind; there are ways to still keeping your pets during hard times.

The importance of keeping pets

Pets do a lot to bring us comfort when we are sad or stressed. They have therapeutic benefits to our psychology and emotions. The more that we have them, the more they become attached to us and us to them that they become part of the family.

Pets that are left behind

Some pet owners who are forced to abandon their homes end up leaving their pets behind or leaving their pets somewhere in the hopes that someone will find and care for them. However, most of these pets end up dead due to lack of water or food. Domestic pets are used to being cared for by humans and to abandon them for even a few days can make them utterly helpless and defenseless. Unlike street or wild animals, they have not developed the same instincts for survival and won't be able to live on their own. Out in the streets or in the wild, they have to compete with fiercer and more experienced animals, and more often than not, they easily become prey. Dogs and cats last only three to four weeks without food and only a few days without water, even less in extreme cold or heat. When they are left in the backyard or in the house, they are forced to eat anything they find including furniture. Abandoning pets is a cruel thing to do and may even be illegal. Those who abandon their pets may be faced with criminal charges or criminal investigations for neglect.

Options for a new home

If you can't bring your pets with you after you vacate your home, you can find a safe place where your pets can stay temporarily until you find a new residence or permanently if they have to. You can ask people that you know starting with your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues, if they can take care of your pet for you while you relocate or if they are willing to adopt your pet. You can also ask local breeders if they know any willing foster parents who can take care of your pet. Another possible place for your pet to stay is with your veterinarian in urbane scrubs or a boarding kennel. In most cases, these places will charge you for boarding costs. If you still can't find a safe place for your pet, you can contact reputable animal rescue organizations or animal shelters where your pet can be cared for temporarily or permanently. Make sure that you placing your pet in a ?No Kill? shelter where your pet will not be sold to laboratories, put to death, or exploited.