Here’s a warm and fuzzy silver lining for the current coronavirus pandemic. Since COVID-19 shelter-in-place regulations went into effect, Washington D.C. area-demand for rescue dogs to foster and adopt has been so high that one rescue organization has brought in dogs from out-of-state kill shelters to find new homes.
Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation volunteers have been driving around shelters in Mississippi, Georgia and the Carolinas and picking adoptable dogs to bring back with them to suburban D.C., according to a story in People.
With hundreds of thousands of federal workers operating remotely from home, it seems to be the perfect time for many of them to bring a furry friend into their lives. The rescue says it is adopting out 60-70 dogs a week.
“We never could have imagined a surge in adoptions and foster applications like we’ve seen since the outbreak,” Lost Dog and Cat co-founder Pam McAlwee told People.
As a recent Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation Facebook post points out, “There is no better time to choose a new furry co-worker of your very own than right now.”
Adoptable and ready-to-foster pets are featured on the foundation’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels, like Charlotte seen below.
“She loves cuddles, naps on the couch, and Netflix binges. Catch up on your latest TV show with the sweet, gentle Charlotte by your side!”
The rescue also just pulled in a bunch of cats from West Virginia shelters for adoption, and all of them (over 40!) have foster homes already.
Like many pet rescue groups and shelters post-COVID-19, Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation has switched to appointment-only adoptions, some done in person and others over video chats.
Cats are still being spayed or neutered because “kitten season” is starting, but some dogs aren’t being spayed or neutered right away because of the shutdown or limitations on many veterinarian practices. Instead, families who adopt “intact” dogs get a voucher to use on the procedure when things are back to normal.
And if people can’t adopt or foster a pet now, they can still donate to the organization.
The D.C. area isn’t the only spot in the country where demand for adoptable dogs and cats has actually gone up due to the coronavirus. Across the country, shelters are clearing out as socially-distanced Americans spend a lot of their time at home and decide they could use a new animal friend to keep them company.
Has COVID-19 made you want to get a “pandemic pet”?
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
