More Children Abandoned Because of the Recession - As Well As Pets & horses

[1776Forever]

I was reading our local Ohio paper in the past couple of weeks and glanced through the foreclosures and found something "new" that hadn't been there before. It was notices to adult family members of hearings for their children. I was shocked to see so many of these.

It was hard to think about the pets that have been abandoned but now we are seeing children left for the State to take care of also. In looking around the net I found out there are horses too being left because the owners can't take care of them. When will it stop? And I know this just isn't something that is happening in the U.S. but it does seem more amazing that in our country this is happening more and more.

This is so tragic and getting worse! Just had to put this in writing because it bothers me so much that so much money is spent on "fighting" abortion when we have children at risk that are in need right now in so many ways.

[graywarrior]

1. I was at the vet the other day when I guy brought in a cat he found

while walking his dogs. The cat was standing near his carry cage crying. And my nephew is walking away from his Florida house. I am not surprised that kids are being left. That was big in the 40's when kids were brought to mental institutions because parents couldn't afford to take care of them. I knew a guy who was separated from his twin and sent to Danver's State Hospital. He slowln went insane while his brother stayed on the outside and had a great life. When they met 40 years later, it was the most gut wrenching meeting I ever witnessed.

[1776Forever]

3. We live in the country and we have found 2 puppies and 1 cat in the last month dropped near our home

We took them to a shelter. It is so gut wrenching all around.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Perhaps local communities could sell abandoned children to the rich.

The best way to train a servant or slave is to start from scratch.

Lord knows the local communities are going to need the income in order to pay for the police forces necessary to protect the wealthy from the depredations of the poor.

It just seems like a win-win situation to me.

[bain_sidhe]

4. New Orphan Trains?

Read up on it... Here's the wikipedia entry, for starters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphan_Train

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Yeah. I know about the 19th century orphan trains.

Indentured servants for the development of the West.

[liberalmuse]

7. I like the 'eat the rich' idea much better.

We could feed them to the abandoned children and animals. Of course we'd have to learn to properly cook and season them. I've heard they can be a bit bland on the pallet. I vote on eating the rich, and then raiding their liquor cabinets.

[safeinOhio]

8. Please neuter your cat, dog and

yourself. I did all 3.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Children don't count once they're out of the female reproductive tract.

[Fire1]

9. This economy is just depressing.

[shrike]

10. Horse abandonment has been going on a while now

My step-daughter keeps four horses on her small farm. People are always trying to give her horses, free or charge. She always refuses because the cost of hay and feed is so high. She keeps only the horses she can afford to keep.

People are giving them away at swap meets, she tells me. My sister, who also has horses, tells me people are letting them run loose in state parks. (Which sounds charming, wild horse herds and all, but imagine these domestic animals stepping into the road at night. Envision what a deer crash does to your car. Now imagine a crash involving a horse.)

U.S. slaughterhouses are no longer allowed to butcher horses, and of course the law of unintended consequences being what it is, sick or unwanted horses have nowhere to go. I realize there are horse rescue organizations, but wonder if they can keep up with the demand. Putting a horse down yourself can be expensive; it's not like burying spot in the backyard.

Maybe it's true people should have thought of all this before they bought a horse. But truly, no one in their wildest dreams ever thought hay and grain prices would go this high. It's unbelievable.

[bobbolink]

11. And that's more important than the two-leggeds?

[shrike]

12. Of course not.

I'm simply pointing out that the problem has been going on a long time, and that once again the media is a day late and a dollar short. As they are with almost everything: didn't they finally admit that we've been in a recession for over a year? How long will it take them to admit that they are in a depression.

[Meloman]

15. The two-leggeds are definitely more important

I'm just frustrated about how our government deals with the fact that there are so many children in poverty and war zones. Music is the only thing that really works here. I am sure you will love Oswald's "Banging on those drums". It's up to the topic. Please tell me what you think. You can listen the song here Oswald

[Kare]

13. You couldn't give them away....

My mother suggested that I sell one of my horses to lighten the fed cost since we are going down hill. I told her the truth, you couldn't give them away. Especially this time of year. No one wants another mouth to feed. Luckily I bought enough hay to last the whole season and rather cheaply from a neighbor. Hay prices are pretty high and it's hard to find these days even.
Obviously people are more important than the animals when it comes down to the grocery budget but it's hard to sit back and decide that a loved family pet has to go hungry.

Like many other things (my house for one) the horses were something that was bought in better times when we could readily afford them (one for only $50 so no huge expense even then). If I knew then what I know now about the economy and everything else we wouldn't be in this house, we wouldn't have 2 horses, we probably wouldn't have a lot of things.

I'm probably not alone when I say those things. I wish I had a cheaper house, I wish I didn't have all the mouths to feed that I do, but there isn't much you can do but tighten your belt and hope things improve.

[shrike]

14. You have my sympathy

I grew up with horses, and all the horse owners I know are good, responsible people. I'm sure you are, too. Must be a tight spot to be in.

As for "if I knew then what I know now," none of us has a crystal ball. You make the best decision you can, with the information you have at the time.

[Jkid]

16. Don't they know what they're thinking

Many of these children who are abandoned may be sent to group homes because the foster care system in America is already in tatters. And the fact that some sections of America does not like same-sex people from adopting or becoming foster parents is of great concern.

[backtoblue]

17. I could never abandon my child

I would do whatever it took to keep him safe and fed. I would die before I'd let my child starve, or give him to complete strangers who could hurt him.