Some Additional Protection for Abandoned Animals

A new law went in to effect on the first of this year requiring that abandoned animals discovered at a property that has been taken back by way of foreclosure, eviction, or termination of a lease, be turned over to the local animal care and control agency. People aren't the only ones left homeless by this crisis.

This actually happened to me a few years ago in Maxwell Park. My clients finally had to evict the non-paying tenants from their elderly parents home. They needed to sell it in order to pay for expenses of the assisted living facility where the parents were living. They gave me a set of keys so that I could enter and assess the situation as soon as the tenants were out. The place was a mess, as expected, but the worst of it was the frightened pit bull I encountered when I walked down in to the basement laundry room. The dog, as it turned out, had been there for a few days without food or water. Although it growled at us, a neighbor assisted me with putting out some kibble and water for it while we waited for animal care & control to take the dog to the shelter. I hope the dog eventually found a home better than his last situation.