I had another post all ready to go this morning when I happened to catch the last segment of CBS Sunday Morning. I’m not always in agreement with Ben Stein, but I think he was a great choice for replacing Andy Rooney, and he didn’t play his usual political harp or do his I’m-smarter-than-you-are gig today. It seems that with the big spate of foreclosures, or of people abandoning their homes in advance of foreclosure, or just not being able to pay the mortgage and giving up, there’s a new category of victim: foreclosure dogs and cats. There are so many animals in this category–being left behind for realtors or bank personnel to find, sometimes with a dish and food and water and maybe a leash and some toys, and sometimes with nothing–that animal shelters have established this new category of pets up for adoption, foreclosure dogs and cats. I can understand that people may have to part with their pets–moving in with family that’s allergic or already overpopulated with pets, renting in a no-pet zone–but there’s no excuse for just abandoning them. This isn’t Hurricane Katrina, a run-for-your-life situation. This is just take-10-minutes-to-drop-your-pet-at-the-shelter. Anyway–if you happen to be someone that was motivated to adopt pets after Katrina and didn’t get around to it, here’s a heads up about some more animals who need you. Quentin Tarantino might not make a movie about it, but it says a lot about unnecessary cruelty nonetheless. –Mary Hunt, editor, eFlyer