Pet rescues and fosters experienced a rise in pet adoptions and have adapted to social distancing orders as COVID-19 precautions continue.
Due to individuals being stuck at home for the COVID-19 crisis, there is an all time high in the number of pet adoptions and volunteering as fosters.
Most people’s concern with adopting a kitten or puppy is how much time and care they require at such a young age, but due to stay at home and social distancing orders, everyone is spending a lot more time at home and can justify the idea of adopting a young cat or dog.
On the contrary, the stay at home orders and social distancing has made adopting out animals a little more difficult.
The increase in adoptions has made it more competitive and time sensitive if people want to adopt a new pet.
Marie Provost is a Long Beach resident who recently adopted a 7-week-old kitten who she named Jaeger, which means “Hunter” in German, from Rescue Team LA.
Provost commented on how COVID-19 and social distancing affected her experience adopting a kitten.
“It’s making it very competitive… And it made meeting in person more difficult,” Provost said.
Provost recognized the changes that have been made during this difficult time, as she said, “I like that a number of the independent rescues have adjusted to the situation… Like they will let you foster for two weeks as a trial period.”
She also talked about how she appreciated that some fosters who had the animal at the time were open to doing virtual meet and greets with those looking to adopt.
Provost ran into an issue of being turned down by rescues since she only wanted one cat.
In her experience, most adoptions and rescues were sending people home with cats in pairs only or one cat out to a home that already had a cat.
Due to COVID-19, pet rescues and adoption centers are closed to the public, but offer pick up services or appointments.
For the first time ever some shelters have no animals left after the surge in pet adoptions, but there will always be more animals in need of homes.
On the flip side, there have been no reports of increase in people surrendering their animals due to job loss and COVID-19.
The possibility of an increase to the surrender of animals after the stay-at-home order is lifted and people are no longer at home as much is feasible.