California: animal abandonment.

Economy, foreclosure linked to animal neglect.

Inland Empire Foreclosures Spawning Empty Nest Crimes [link]
Aug 14, 2008

In recent months, the Inland Empire has ranked second nationwide when it comes to foreclosure filings—a trend that has spawned an up tick in crimes such as drugs, arson and animal abandonment in the area... Another example of issues that have has sprung up since the foreclosure wave was an abandoned property starving horses were found. "We ... want to spread the message that pets aren't disposable," Riverside Co. Animal Control spokesman John Welsh said. "This horse was abandoned, and that's not right." Experts said they predict the market will worsen [before] it improves.

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