Photo: More Pet Owners Seek Aid, Give Up Animals Due to Costs

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Lola, a domestic shorthair cat, reaches under her enclosure at the Sacramento SPCA in California on February 1, 2008.

The tabby is among a recent flood of pets that have been abandoned or surrendered to shelters nationwide by owners who went through home foreclosures and had to move.

In the fallout from rising fuel prices, job losses, and foreclosures, more pet owners are struggling to pay for food and veterinary care. The situation has pet-food pantries, animal shelters, and other nonprofits straining to keep up with rising demand.

Photograph by David Paul Morris/Getty Images

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