Brigid Wasson has seen heartbreaking stories of separation this holiday season.

As the economy took turn after turn for the worse, the San Martin Animal Care and Control supervisor said some families could no longer afford to feed themselves, let alone their pets.

"We are seeing a lot of owner-surrendered pets because people can no longer afford to keep them," she said. "People are at the end of their rope and many don't realize how bad it's become until it's too late."

While the shelter took in 2,498 owner surrendered and stray cats and dogs last year, it sheltered 2,820 this year, a 13 percent increase. And Wasson said the reasons owners are surrendering their pets is different, too. People used to surrender their pets because they were misbehaved or too much work. Now pet owners are surrendering their cats and dogs because they can't afford them, Wasson said.

Of the thousands of animals the shelter cares for, about 30 percent have to be euthanized, a figure that has stayed nearly constant over the last few years, Wasson said. Cats and dogs are euthanized if they're incurably ill or too aggressive, not because of space constraints, she said. But they longer they stay at the shelter, the more likely they are to become sick or aggressive, she said.

Adopting a dog from costs $100. Adopting a cat costs $80. That includes spaying/neutering, vaccination and a microchip ID.

A particularly telling sign of the plunging economy is the eight horses the shelter has taken in and adopted out this year, compared to the typical one or two a year. But thanks to $2,000 worth of community donations, the shelter was able to rescue a 25-year-old Arab stallion with bad teeth and little meat on his bones, and give him medical attention.

"We are really full right now," she said. "There are too many animals being produced. The market is so bad, people can't even sell prize-winning horses that should be worth $20,000, so they're abandoning them.

Although she hoped penny-pinching pet lovers would flock to animal shelters to adopt a pet, she said that's not the case.

"I wish that were true," she said. "But a very small percentage of pet owners adopt from shelters. We're working on finding out why so we can correct it."

Most people buy from breeders, craigslist, newspapers and local pet stores, she said.

According to a national survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, only 10 percent of the 79.8 million owned dogs and 18 percent of the 88.3 million owned cats in the country are adopted from a shelter or rescue agency.

"People have misconceptions about shelters," Wasson said. "They need to understand that we have wonderful pets here."

She cautioned prospective pet owners to think twice before getting a pet, however. Even though their heart's in the right place, people are often getting in over their heads, she said.

"Look at the pets you have or are planning on getting," she said. "Can you afford to take care of them if you lost you job or are making much less money?"

If not, pass on the pet purchase or adoption, she said, adding that pets typically don't make the best gifts either.

"Assumptions are usually wrong and a pet can turn out to be a really inappropriate gift," she said.

For parents buying a pet in the hope that caring for a dog or cat will instill a sense of responsibility in their children, think again.

"A lot of parents are unrealistic in their expectations," Wasson said. "Kids younger than 12 or 13 are usually not able to take on that kind of commitment. It's upsetting how many parents we see who expect their kids to take on a responsibility that big."

But if a family is sure they are ready and able to care for a pet, Wasson suggested they visit the Web site or drop by the shelter.

Shelter Basics

Santa Clara County

Animal Care & Control

12370 Murphy Ave., San Martin

(408) 686-3900

www.southcountypets.com