Once you know that your home is irretrievably lost to you, you should start making plans for a future for your pets. If at all possible (and it is often more possible than not) make arrangements to take your pets with you. If you absolutely can't take your pets, don't leave them in the home and 'hope' that they will be found before they starve to death; contact shelters and rescues to find a place that will take them. Friends and family may even be able to accommodate the pet until you find a place that will allow it to rejoin your family.

It can be extremely difficult to find accommodation that will accept animals, but it is possible. Start looking immediately, spread the word among family and friends, and publicize your search as widely as possible. There are a number of online resources that you can explore to find accommodation that is pet-friendly. The Humane Society of the United States has some great advice at www.hsus.org. There are also various websites featuring pet-friendly rental listings. A visit to your local SPCA and/or kennel club might net you some more leads.

Start building your arsenal to prove that you are an exceptional pet owner to potential landlords. Get copies of vaccination records, spaying/neutering, obedience classes, parasite prevention and, if applicable, registration/adoption records. Get references from veterinarians, trainers, etc. If you have a paper trail that proves your pet is well cared for and trained, it can sway a landlord's opinion in your favor.

If you absolutely cannot find accommodation for your pet, yet want to keep it in the family, consider boarding. Some kennels might offer a reduced rate in exchange for a longer stay. Paying family or friends to care for the pet is another option. You might even be able to advertise your pet as a 'temporary dog/cat' and pay someone in your community to care for it. You pay the bills and they get the companionship of a pet until you can regain your footing. This can be fraught with emotional difficulty, however; the longer the pet is with the person, the more attached they might become and parting could be difficult.

Ask the people handling your foreclosure if they have any leads. Many of these people are pet lovers themselves who have had the experience of finding dead and dying animals in homes they represented. Most would do a lot to prevent experiencing this again.

The website petfinder.com is one of the great rescue/rehome tools of the Internet. With this, a person can search for the type of animal, the breed, and the location. Start advertising your pet as soon as possible on all of the Internet advertising sites. Include everything that might encourage someone to adopt it - free food, pest prevention, recent shots, toys, carrying crates, training, spay/neutering, etc. Be prepared to screen potential owners; there is no point in adopting your pet into a worse situation than it is in now.

Many shelters and SPCAs are full to the brim already with foreclosure pets. If your local one can't take your pet, try ones farther afield. There are also private rescues that may be able to accommodate your pet. Asking at your vet's or the shelter may net you some contacts. A generous donation can also smooth the way for an animal that would otherwise be denied. One fact that you will have to face is that your pet may be euthanized if it is not adopted. This fate is, however, better than being abandoned to starve or dehydrate or catch and spread disease in the neighborhood.

If you are facing foreclosure, don't abandon your animals to starve slowly or die of dehydration. Yes, some people do this, thinking, perhaps that someone will find the pet in a few days. It doesn't happen like that - many die, locked away from food, water and the human companionship they depended on. There is no excuse to lock a pet away from any possible aid, food, water and care. It is your pet and your responsibility to make arrangements for it if your living space is no longer yours.