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Family Unity

April 24, 2009, 7:53PM MT

By Ellen M Gilmore

Phoenix Real Estate Professionals Help Pets and People Stay Together During Housing Crisis

Phoenix Real Estate Professionals Help Pets and People Stay Together During Housing Crisis

by Amie McGraham, Best Friends Network Volunteer

The family pet has fast become the latest victim of the recent economic downturn. Animal shelters nationwide are overflowing with pets relinquished due to home foreclosures or financial hardships, with fewer people able to adopt or donate. And some pets are even left behind in empty homes and backyards.

It is an escalating crisis in every city small and large. To help these pets left behind, a local group of real estate professionals in Phoenix has formed an innovative organization called the Lost Our Home Pet Foundation. (LOHPF).

Its mission: to rescue pets left behind in houses and assist pet owners who can no longer afford their pets.

The Foundation's Beginnings
Jodi Polanski, a residential and commercial mortgage lender, is president of the foundation. Hearing the stories from realtors about pets they have found left behind in homes gave her the initial idea of starting a rescue group to help the voiceless victims of the downturn.

“I started the foundation with two realtors, then we quickly recruited more people after we realized this was a larger undertaking than initially thought. From there the board was formed and everyone helped shape the program and help make it what it is today," Polanski said. Established in June 2008, the organization consists of a group of real estate agents, lenders and escrow agents, as well as several people not in the real estate industry.

“Having the backing of the real estate community is key,” said Polanski. “Realtors sometimes are the first professions to know if someone is in danger of losing their home. Most people contact a realtor to see what their house is worth to see if it can be sold before it goes into foreclosure. If we can get the word out to realtors to educate people on not leaving their pets behind and that there are resources to help them with their pets, we can save a lot of pets from being left behind in the first place. We want to bring realtors together to help homeowners who have pets they can’t care for anymore.”

In addition to rescuing pets, LOHPF provides food and litter for families that can no longer afford their pets, but are able to care for them.

“Many people are turning their pets into animal control because of financial hardship,” says Polanski. “People really love their pets but have no choice but to find another home for their pet because financially it becomes a choice of feeding their kids or feeding their pets. We want to help those families keep their pets by providing everything they need to care for the pet.”

They are also carrying the message to residents of the valley about the need for spay/neuter, not leaving pets behind when they move and education on handling dogs and cats for foster families.

Outreach to the Valley Real Estate Community
With more than 38,000 active real estate agents in Maricopa County alone, LOHPF offers these professionals a resource to help any pets in need that they encounter.

“We’re hearing that the pet shelters are full and people are just leaving their pets in houses and back yards. When a realtor is out showing houses and comes across a pet left behind, like anyone else, it’s not easy to stop in the middle of the work day and find a rescue group to take in a pet. We want to make it really easy for realtors, appraisers, locksmiths or anyone else who comes across these pets to just call us and know we will take of the pet. If there is a resource to call in these situations, more pets will be rescued before they die of starvation, dehydration and heat exhaustion.”

The group’s first rescue was for a disabled veteran with two big dogs. Facing foreclosure with nowhere for him to go, he spoke to his veterinarian, who contacted the foundation. They found a foster home for his dogs until he can get back on his feet again and reclaim his dogs. “He is very grateful we were able to assist him, since he didn’t want to lose his dogs permanently,” Polanski said.

Kimberly Cole is a Tempe, AZ real estate agent and Best Friends member who is also involved in rescuing foreclosure pets and plans to volunteer with the LOHPF.

“I have eight rescued dogs, and four of them since the foreclosure market,” Cole says. “For every transaction I do, I donate a part of my commission towards a different rescue every time.” She also helps their pets and their people who have lost their homes find pet-friendly rentals.

The Importance of Foster Care
Phoenix-area resident Brett G. is experiencing what many people these days are: job loss. Unable to pay his bills, Brett was evicted from his apartment. The most important things in his life are his two cats, Bailey & Tigger. Left with no choice, Brett was living in his car with his cats. He was able to find another job but it is 100% commission and he cannot afford to move into another apartment right now.

Brett heard about LOHPF contacted them. To his relief, they were able to temporarily house his two cats while he tries to save money to get on his feet. Through a relationship that LOHPF has with a local pet resort, Brett is able to keep his cats there for a minimal fee. He visits his cats many times through out the week.

“It just hurts me to have to keep saying goodbye to them,” says Brett. “Things may not be ideal in my life right now but that is no reason to make my pets suffer. They are the innocent victims in all this. They depend on me to care for them and give back so much love in return. I would never, ever consider abandoning or giving up my pets.”

While he is still living out of his car, using a gym to shower and get ready for work, Brett knows he will survive. His employer is very supportive of him and respects that he is making such a great effort to do well at work and improve his situation. But Brett dreams of the day when he can be reunited with his cats again.

“I’m so thankful to Lost Our Home for helping me find a sanctuary for my cats until I can get on my feet, I’m just anxious now to get into a home so I can have my cats with me again.”

One of the goals of LOHPF is to keep pets with their owners to keep them out of the already overcrowded shelters. Polanski reports that they have fostered many pets for owners and in the past eight months have been able to reunite 26 dogs and cats with their owners again.

“We’re always looking for more fosters, volunteers or donations so we can help more people like Brett,” Polanski said.

What You Can Do

•View the resources available on this community by clicking here. Look in the folders labeled “How to Keep Your Pet in Your Home” and “How Providing Foster Care Helps Keep Pets With Families” to find numerous helpful documents. The Best Friends First Home Forever Home campaign focuses on all aspects of helping people make and honor a lifetime commitment to their pets. Best Friends Animal Society provides these resources to help people keep their pets.

•Educate others in your community by taking a copy of this article and copies of the resource documents (you can print them or copy them to a CD) to your local realtors’ offices, mortgage lenders, and escrow offices. Even if the professionals in your community are not ready to organize as formally as LOHPF, your actions may inspire them to take steps help to clients and others in need.

•Please send this page to all your friends by clicking on the link to the right of the picture, above.

•Consider becoming a foster care provider. Contact your local animal rescue groups for more information; most groups have a foster care program.

•Click here to donate to Lost Our Home Pet Foundation.

Posted by Ellen Gilmore, Best Friends campaign coordinator for First Home Forever Home
Stock photos by Clay Myers, Best Friends Staff[/i]

Comments

Posted May 05, 2009, 10:20PM by dcdawn

Let's get this to the So Cal area ASAP

Posted May 04, 2009, 2:32PM by dixiesherman

What a wonderful idea. Thanks to all of you wonderful Realtors for doing this. I know it must really be heartwarming to you knowing you are helping people and their pets in this very difficult time. Bless you all, it is people like you who make life so much better. I just wanted to say that is such a beautiful picture at the top of this story, it brings tears to your eyes, obviously they love each other very much.

Posted April 28, 2009, 11:14PM by dennislubrano

Aloha:

Mahalo Ellen for this article and to Jodi for her innovative efforts in what she has created in this economic crisis.

All of you who are reading this article, should you be a REALTOR like myself, why not do something about this as I have done also. I plan to contact Jodi to share ideas with her and see how else I may be able to assist.

REALTORS, I have a FREE PET PLEDGE I offer those clients who complete a transaction with me. Rather than a token house warming gift, I offer to donate the adoption fees, providing they meet all of the necessary adoption requirements, for up to 2 pets at any animal sanctuary of their choice. Should they not need any more pets, I then offer to make a donation to any animal sanctuary of their choice in their names. This just makes for a much more warm and furry housewarming gift, don't you think so?

I plan to contact the HBR and RE/MAX regarding getting more involved with homeless animals due to foreclosures in the industry.

LOHPF is based in Arizona, need I say more for those of you licensed in that state?

This is such a much needed organization, every state should have one.

Dennis Lubrano
Hawaii Network Team Leader
RE/MAX Honolulu

Posted April 28, 2009, 11:22PM by dennislubrano

Aloha again:

Oops!

Apologies, I neglected to give a big mahalo to Amie for this article also.

Take care.

Dennis Lubrano

Posted May 05, 2009, 4:50PM by Rita2828

What a super idea ! i just would like to thank all of you who took part in this marvelous plan, to help out the pets. It takes special people to do this.

Rita from Brooklyn