When the owner is arrested, what about their pets?

[Catherine]

I think we put our pets first because we care about them and because we understand that caring means being responsible.
It gets me out of bed to go to work on the worst mornings of winter. It makes me careful about the choices I make.
People who are married and who have children must feel the same need to be responsible. Being married with children and pets must be a very heavy load sometimes.

I think street people and people who commit crimes do care about their pets. (I am not saying that street people are the ones committing crimes, just that both groups are vulnerable) They just have so much else going on that they can't look after themselves very well. It is hard for them to care for their pets. They do the best that they can.
There are people with money and security who do a worse job of pet care.

We need to be a society that steps up and provides for the pets of people who have been arrested(or hospitalized). It is not right that a pet be left vulnerable and uncared for. You were lucky you could save Misty. Some of the dogs in the pound were probably not claimed.  We need to stop having pounds like that. They need to be places of refuge for dogs (and other animals). If they cannot go home then they need to be placed, first in foster homes if the need is temporary. If no one can come for the animal then a permanent home needs to be found.

I guess that is the point of this story. If the dog's owner has failed his responsibility then it is up to the rest of us.