As Wall Street shudders, the mortgage house of cards collapses, and billions are flung around to cushion the fall, take a moment to think about the little guy. That's Rover, Spot or Mr. Noodlepuss.

Pets are often the first thing to go when finances get tight, and area shelters are seeing an influx of dogs, cats and even birds.

"People can't afford them. People are moving to apartments that don't allow them," said Kimber Reiser, an animal care technician at the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter in Lindon. Someone brought in a bird earlier this week, and the shelter has seen reptiles and rabbits, too.

"A lot of them are nice friendly pets the owner just couldn't keep," Reiser said.

While Utah hasn't been as bad as states like Nevada, the Humane Society and local animal shelters say they have seen a marked increase.

"It's really heartbreaking to have to give up a pet because of foreclosure," said Humane Society of Utah executive director Gene Baierschmidt. On the flip side, the society has seen an increase of pet adoptions this year -- almost 20 percent more than 2007.

There isn't any scientific proof, but Baierschmidt says perhaps people are looking for comfort from pets instead of spending big money on things like vacations.

Getting pets isn't usually a problem if the animal -- particularly a dog -- is small. Purebreds are also easier to give away. The large breeds are often the most difficult to adopt out. The places that often struggle are the municipal shelters, he said, because of limited funds and limited space.

THINK OF THE ANIMALS

• If foreclosure is pending, plan ahead so you don't have to abandon pets in the house.

• Check to see if friends, family or neighbors can take the pet temporarily.

•¬ If you're moving to an apartment, check with the landlord to see if pets are allowed.

• Contact your local animal shelter before dropping off a pet to see first if the animal is highly adoptable. If it is not, odds are that the animal will be euthanized.

• Consider placing a classified ad, including on free sites such as craigslist.org.

Source: Utah Humane Society