Ask a companion animal lover whether adopting a pet is an “essential activity” during this time of COVID-19 lockdown and you’d get a resounding, “Yes!” In fact, it appears to rank right up there with grocery shopping, gassing up the car and seeking urgent medical care.
With ample time in their schedules and open hearts, many families are adopting or fostering pets in record numbers. The Cat Adoption center of the Humane Society Pikes Peak Region in Colorado cleared its cages twice last week. In an unprecedented event, the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter in Branford, Connecticut, was completely emptied during the same period.
But this dream scenario for shelters could create medical chaos as a novel virus covertly spreads between well-intentioned people. Aware of the need to maintain the public health, shelters are modifying their adoption processes.
In keeping with the recent guidelines issued by California Governor, Gavin Newsom, Orange County Animal Care in Tustin has temporarily shut its doors. The move was taken to restrict the number of people in the shelter in efforts to curtail potential community spread of COVID-19. While special events and programming at OC Animal Care have been cancelled, pet parents can adopt or redeem their furry family by appointment.
Casting a huge social media net, many rescue groups and individuals implore their communities to foster pets as the pandemic wave crashes. A few offer “drive-thru” pick-ups for foster families where staff do a warm pet hand-off along with food and toys. Rescues throughout the country are replacing the usual face-to-face and hands-on adoption process with virtual applications. Some are live-streaming adoptable animals. Meet-and-greets via Skype have become popular.
Wake County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals conducts a live Facebook feed everyday beginning at 2 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. Potential adopters can chat with a camera operator and ask questions about specific pets. They can also ask the camera operator to give belly rubs or deliver treats by proxy.
Virtual interactions are a conscientious way to facilitate adoption during this time of medical crisis, but there is a downside. Imagine committing a lifetime to someone based on a single “online” date. Without direct contact with a pet, one cannot be sure how well suited that particular animal is to their family. Of course, virtual adoption is better than no adoption which may, in some cases, be fatal to the companion animal. An extra measure of patience may be required as a virtually-adopted pet settles in to family life.
High-profile animal advocacy groups are extending their reach during this latest pandemic. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has assembled a “Toolkit for Animal Shelters” to help them weather the spike in animal intakes that invariably accompanies natural disasters. Pets for Life, an HSUS program, continues delivering pet supplies, medicines and services to seniors and immobile clients in underserved areas within established health parameters. Services include spay/neuter and other veterinary appointments.
During the current adoption wave, it is crucial to remember that COVID-19 infection results from human-to-human transmission. While recent reports from Belgium (one cat) and Hong Kong (two dogs) describe human-to-pet transmission, there is no evidence that companion animals are a vector for humans or other animals. As more and more humans contract the virus, however, it may be possible for some animals to become infected through close contact with infected humans. Difficult as it would be, people exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever, fatigue, dry cough) should quarantine themselves away from other family members — including pets.
My only hope is that all the animals adopted when everyone was homebound will continue to be loved and nurtured once stay-at-home orders are lifted — and time spent at home is in shorter supply.