Coachella shelter tries to rescue homeless pets

“This year alone, I have had 86 dogs dropped off at my doorstep because of home foreclosure,” says Christine Madruga, director of The Pet Rescue Center in Coachella. “That’s more than double from the 36 I received last year.”The housing slump, says Madruga, has forced many individuals to downgrade to apartments and caused a sharp increase in animals being abandoned because most rentals do not allow pets.Madruga calls her doorstep a dumping ground for unwelcome dogs.  Dogs have been tied to her front gate, cats have been abandoned in boxes on her doorstep during the hot summer months, and countless animals have been tossed over her fence.These abandoned pets are not your average mixed-breed mutt often seen digging through alley dumpsters.  Madruga says many former homeowners have been forced to give up their pure-breed dogs because they cannot afford to take their pets with them.But like many other non-profits, The Pet Rescue Center is facing hardship.Read more at Coachella Unincorporated