DUBLIN, Ohio -- Animal lovers always face an uphill battle in trying to adopt out four-legged friends and the economy is not helping.
In fact, the shelter director of the Madison County Humane Society reports an increase in the number of owners giving up their pets due to economic pressures.
In an effort to reserve that trend, dozens of local shelters and rescue groups worked together Saturday to stage one of the area's largest animal adoption efforts.
In staging the event known as Slobberfest for the second time, organizers selected Dublin's Coffman Park as a gathering point for pet-friendly people interested in bringing a new or another animal into their life.
Dublin residents Tom and Kate Anderson attended the event to browse, but wanted to take their time to make sure they found the right fit.
"It may not be today. It may be this week, this month, we're not sure," Tom Anderson said. "We're both kind of looking to add a new member to the family."
Kate added, "We wouldn't have a child if we weren't financially ready for it."
Slobberfest takes places as shelters and rescue groups report a problematic trend -- pets being returned.
"People are moving. Some people have lost jobs. The financial part of it -- if you can't handle that, some people are giving up their pets," said Betty Payton, volunteer shelter director for Madison County's humane society.
Payton adopted her dog, Aejir last year and learned how expensive owning an animal can be -- after Aejir suffered a rare injury requiring surgery costing $1,500.
"He just took off running, turned the wrong way and tore his ACL," Payton said.
And that is one of the reasons why Payton tells prospective pet owners to make sure they can afford a pet before they adopt.
"Some people have said, 'You know what? We've decided this year, we're not going to go on a family vacation, so we'll take the money we normally would use to do that and get a pet,'" Payton said.
Another option for pet lovers on a tight budget is foster care. Some shelters and rescue groups will provide food, litter for cats and veterinary care free of charge if you take care of an animal at your home until it's adopted.
For information on the pet rescue groups that have animals available for adoption or foster care, visit Slobberfest's Web site at www.slobberfest.org.
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