More than ever during these times of stress, people across the globe are turning to their pets for comfort. But who do the abused, abandoned and neglected animals turn to as so many rescue boots on the ground are sequestered by COVID-19?
In partnership with Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS), The Rachel Ray Foundation has donated $2 million to create the Rachel Ray Save Them All Grants COVID-19 Relief Program at BFAS. Relief funds will be distributed to front-line companion animal advocates such as North Shore Animal League, Austin Pets Alive, Big Dog Ranch, San Antonio Pets Alive and Lost Our Home Rescue. Rachel Ray’s Save Them All Grants have empowered organizations to save thousands of pet’s lives through adoption and spay/neuter programs. The goal of the Rachel Ray No-Kill Excellence Grants is to help shelters nationwide top the no-kill bar by the year 2025.
Responding to the colossal strain that the novel coronavirus has placed upon critical resources of shelters and pet parents, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has launched a $5 million strategic initiative. The plan includes $2 million in grants to shelters struggling to maintain basic operations, promote foster/adoption programs and provide veterinary services. To serve pet parents and their fur kids living in poverty, the ASPCA has created a vast network of food distribution centers across the U.S.
To help animal shelters weather the spike in animal intakes that invariably follow natural disasters, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has assembled a “Toolkit for Shelters.” 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.
Heroes not only work within monolithic organizations, they walk among everyday people as well:
As COVID-19 strips non-profits, shelters and individual rescuers down to the bone, grass-roots groups are beefing up rescue efforts through the ether. Instagram and YouTube have proved to be invaluable platforms for “Flatbush Cats” and “Little Wanderers,” two New York-based groups scrambling to pluck kittens from dire circumstances, arrange transportation to vet appointments and locate foster and adoptive pet parents. Their crowdsourcing efforts confront the real threat of a cat population explosion in the age of COVID — and the heartbreaking hike in cat euthanasia likely to follow.
Bruiser, a nine-year-old spaniel mix from South Carolina, took enough of a beating when his pet parent died from COVID-19 and he was then placed in a high-kill shelter. A local volunteer from Grateful Doggies Rescue of Warwick, New York, got wind of the pup’s plight. Bruiser was soon whisked from almost certain doom to his new home with the deceased owner’s sister. Grateful Doggies has helped transport thousands of dogs from high-kill shelters to new homes throughout New York state.
Texas animal shelters have the dubious distinction of leading the nation in euthanasia due to overcrowding. But thanks to the collaborative efforts of elected leaders and shelter administrators in Harris County, the fate of free-roaming cats (with or without human parents) has taken a dramatic turn for the better. Since the county’s trap-neuter-release (TNR) program was launched in 2018, the number of cats saved has shot up from 24% to 94%. To put this effort in perspective, Harris county is the third most populous county in the country behind Los Angeles County, California, and Cook County, Illinois. During our struggle to flatten COVID curves, this is one statistical bump we can celebrate.
Our collective efforts and sacrifices will beat corona. Meanwhile, we can continue our battle against pet homelessness and euthanasia — even if it’s waged from the comfort of our living rooms.
Let’s show our animal companions that there are more stars on the ground than in the sky.
Please share a rescue victory from your community.