Family Pets: Unseen Victims of the Gulf Oil Disaster

Think about how animals have been affected by the Gulf Oil Disaster and chances are good that the first images that come to your mind will be oil-soaked pelicans and turtles ... not the pleading eyes of forlorn dogs and cats languishing in animal shelters.

According to a recent news segment on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, hundreds of family pets now face an uncertain future because their guardians are no longer able to care for them. Many who have become unemployed have little hope of things changing for them anytime soon. Sadly, they have been forced to choose between feeding their families and providing for their companion animals.

With animal surrenders up dramatically, some animal shelters are resorting to shipping excess animals to other regions in an effort to find new homes for them.

Some say that British Petroleum should be responsible for assisting pet owners with some of the costs of food and medical care. What do you think?

If a natural -- or 'man made' -- disaster were to happen in your community, how do you think you and your animal companions would be affected?

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor