I recently received a news release about 60 cats abandoned at a foreclosed house. The release said that an evicted man walked away from his home in the East End of Cincinnati, Ohio, not telling anyone about the 60 or more cats and kittens trapped inside without food, water or medical attention. When the animals were discovered, the bank and sheriff’s office began working with local animal rescue groups and members of the community to save the cats, get them into shelters, and prevent them from escaping into the neighborhood when the house was cleared of its contents in preparation for rehabbing and sale.

This sad situation could have been prevented if the homeowner had asked for help from local rescue organizations when he realized he would not be able to keep his home, rather than just walking away and leaving the neglected cats for someone to accidentally discover.

Our foreclosure investing training emphasizes putting together win-win deals and whenever possible helping homeowners avoid foreclosure through strategies such a short sales and other preforeclosure investing techniques. If you are working with a seller in foreclosure who has pets, point out the importance of making the care and safety of those pets a part of the seller’s plan for coping with the foreclosure.

For more details on the Cincinnati situation, visit www.foreclosurecats.org.

Jackie