Hard times leaving animals homeless

All three horses were victims of the recession, having been surrendered to the MSPCA’s Nevins Farm in Methuen with more severe medical ailments than are usually observed during a robust economy, said Melissa Ghareeb, who manages Nevins’ equine and farm animal program.

“It’s a really tough decision to give up your’’ animal, Ghareeb said while walking through a barn filled with horses with similar tales. “Sometimes people are trying their hardest to keep them around but might be skimping in one or two areas.’’

A similar fate has fallen on dogs, cats, and other animals that have been brought to shelters or abandoned in the streets as their owners struggle to cover medical and food costs or downsize to an apartment that does not allow pets. This increases the burden on nonprofit animal shelters, many of which are at capacity, coping with stagnant adoption rates, and facing up to a 50 percent decrease in donations.

At Nevins Farm, which abuts Route 213 just south of the New Hampshire border, the number of private horse surrenders surged from 21 in 2007 to more than 70 in 2009, Ghareeb said.

“The hay bills and vet bills are all astronomical this year because we’ve had such an increase in animals coming through,’’ she said, noting that costs to support horses have more than doubled.

Space was an issue initially, but now the farm can board 27 horses (plus an additional 17 in foster care) thanks to new outdoor areas and sheds, she said. “Last year, we had ponies living in our goat pen and visiting with sheep.’’

The number of foster homes also has increased in recent years, partly because the MSPCA covers all expenses except stall space, making it attractive to horse owners who have an open stall, she said.

“It’s sad when you go there and see all these horses that were abandoned,’’ said Susanna Colloredo, who has fostered horses on her Hamilton property since 2008. “Every time someone is willing to foster, it means another animal gets a chance.’’

Staff at Nevins Farm who handle dogs, cats, and other small animals also have noticed increases, putting strains on the organization’s medical fund.

“It’s almost every day that I get a caller saying ‘I need this treatment, is there a vet that will do this for a discount?’ ’’ said Mike Keiley, who runs the farm’s small animal program.

Surrendering of these pets puts Keiley in a dilemma: He must decide how much to invest in the animal or determine if someone will adopt it knowing the medical costs involved. Euthanasia is a last resort, Keiley said.

For no-kill shelters, such as Salem-based Peabody Animal Life Savers, the predicament is different. While they care for every animal they accept, they have limited space, forcing them to turn some away.

“Two years ago it was a rare occasion when people would surrender a cat,’’ said Gail Wakefield, the group’s president. “Now, we receive multiple requests on a daily basis. It’s been heartbreaking because we have to say no to so many people.’’

At Northeast Animal Shelter, officials had kittens available for adoption through mid-December, almost two months longer than normal, said Laurie McCannon, the development director for the Salem shelter.

“We rely on private donations to get the cats or dogs up to a point where they are adoptable,’’ said McCannon, adding more than $1,200 can be spent on one animal. “We don’t have big endowment funds so it comes from the everyday $5 donor.’’

The backlog at area shelters also is having an impact on municipal budgets as animal control officers keep strays longer than the 10 days required by state law while their numbers have doubled, said Kevin Alkins, Malden’s animal control officer.

Keeping a dog for an extra 10 days could cost $200 to $300, Alkins estimated. He expects to have $6,000 in costs above a $12,000 budget for fiscal year 2010.

Offering low-cost spaying, neutering, and vaccinations, which Malden provides through partnerships with local veterinarians and nonprofits, could ease the financial burden on pet owners and reduce the stray population, Alkins said.

At the Lowell Humane Society, officials noticed an increase mostly in dog surrenders, said Jill O’Connell, the society’s executive director.

Cats “are not as much of an integrated part of the family,’’ O’Connell said. “A lot of times people will move and just leave them outside, which you would never see with dogs.’’

Abandoning cats creates a new set of problems for organizations such as Animal Rescue Merrimack Valley, whose volunteers feed feral cat populations and organize spay and neuter clinics in the greater Lawrence area.

The group relies on donation cans in local businesses that used to fill up every month, but now take several months to reach capacity. Meanwhile, the demand is not going away as cats are regularly abandoned on the street, said president Barbara Cusick.

“A lot of the money comes out of our own volunteers’ pockets but we do what we can do,’’ Cusick said. “I’ve been doing this for 15 years and this is the worst year I can remember.’’