ANIMALS IN CRISIS
The current economy is hitting the nation’s pets and shelters with a vengeance. During an economic crisis some of society’s most vulnerable citizens — the animals — are deeply affected. As loving pet owners struggle to make ends meet, many find themselves unable to afford basic veterinary care or pet food and are forced to make the difficult decision to surrender their animals to a shelter. Recent statistics show that shelters all over the United States are experiencing overcrowding. Even more disturbing is the uptick in animals being abandoned by desperate owners. Recently, the HSTB Rescue Team 6 MAKING TRACKS
was called to a grizzly scene where dozens of guinea pigs had been dumped behind a Walmart. Many of them, huddled together, died from exposure and starvation. It was a horrific scene that left our seasoned team shaken. While we don’t know the details of what happened, it is clear that someone had gotten in over their head with pets and was unable to care for them. Unfortunately, they made the inhumane and illegal decision to abandon these domesticated creatures to fend for themselves in the wild. We understand the immense pressure of these troubling times, but this kind of action is never acceptable or excusable. Luckily, 14 of the guinea pigs survived and were treated at the shelter for dehydration, starvation and parasites, but were otherwise healthy enough to be adopted. We are thrilled to report that all 14 have recovered and been adopted
