Kentucky animal welfare groups: Now is not the time to surrender your loved ones
Pet adoptions have decreased at many animal shelters around Kentucky because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and facilities are trying to limit the number of animals coming in to avoid being overwhelmed.
The pandemic has raised concerns about shelters’ donations and finances in some cases.
Shelters and animal-welfare groups also are dealing with worries among pet owners about not being able to provide for their animals after losing a job, and about the potential to catch the virus from a pet.
The shelter in Spencer County has seen an uptick in the number of people surrendering animals since mid-March, said James Houchins, animal-control officer for the county.
The reasons appear to be financial difficulties and concern over catching the virus that causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, Houchins said.
“Without a doubt, I think it’s a mixture of fear and not being able to provide,” he said.
But shelters and animal-welfare groups don’t want people to give up their pets over those concerns.
Several shelters are addressing one of the problems by giving people pet food if needed so that they can keep an animal, essentially offering curbside take-out for people who phone ahead and inform shelters of needs.
As for catching coronavirus from a pet, experts say that fear is unfounded.
“While there has been one instance of a dog being infected in Hong Kong, to date, there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19,” according to the World Health Organization.
The Hong Kong case involved a Pomeranian believed to be infected by people who had COVID-19, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Limited testing has indicated dogs can pick up the virus from people but, at this point, experts agree there is no evidence the disease makes pets sick, or that they spread it to people or other animals, according to the association.
The association says people without COVID-19 can interact normally with pets, but “out of an abundance of caution,” it recommends that people with the respiratory illness limit contact with animals until more is known about the virus.
Ashley Hammond, director of fundraising for the Lexington Humane Society, said animals are technically considered objects when it comes to making direct contact — so be mindful, as you would with any other surface.
“If I have it and cough on a dog, then a person that comes up right after me and touches that dog exactly where I coughed, sure they might get it,” Hammond said. “It’s the same thing as touching a counter-top. But the thing that we need to let people know early on is that this is not something that animals can harbor internally. They cannot transmit it internally to other humans.”
New procedures
Shelters and animal-welfare groups across Kentucky are revising how they handle operations in order to limit the potential spread of coronavirus among humans, through measures such as additional cleaning and limiting the number of people who can come inside, or barring public access to inside areas altogether.
In Pulaski County, if someone’s dog goes missing and ends up at the shelter, it is placed in an outdoor run for the owner to pick up without entering the building, said Adam Scales, the county animal-control officer.
Many shelters have set up telephone and online adoptions, in which people are screened before arranging a meet-and-greet with their new pet, or are working to set up such a system.
“We’re really looking for those serious adopters,” said Katie Tibbs, animal coordinator at the Madison County shelter, which has also reduced the types of calls to which it would normally respond.
There has been some concern that the number of dogs euthanized in Kentucky will increase during the pandemic, but groups are trying to push foster-care programs to avoid that — getting dogs out to temporary homes and relieving stress on the shelters.
Several shelter operators said they can provide food to people who provide foster home for animals.
“There are ways that we can work through this, that we can be creative and find solutions,” said Kat Rooks, state initiative director for the Kentucky Humane Society.
Shelters also are trying to limit the intake of new animals to avoid overcrowding. Among other measures, animal control officers are being more selective about bringing in dogs, responding only to cases involving the health of people or animals.
“Things like dog bites, injured animals, complaints about neglect, we’ll still go out,” said Nathan Mullikin, an animal control officer at the Scott County shelter.
Scales said he has worked to get strays back to owners without bringing them to the shelter.
“We’re trying to not get overwhelmed” with too many dogs, Scales said.
Jackie Brown, manager of the animal shelter in Floyd County, said she is encouraging people who see strays to report them, so officials know where they are, but to care for them if possible at their homes so that they don’t have to come to the shelter.
Even before job losses resulting from coronavirus restrictions, the Floyd County shelter often received animals surrendered by owners who felt they could no longer afford to keep them, Brown said, but these days she’s asking people to hang on to them and providing food to help if needed.
Before the coronavirus pandemic started, the Floyd County shelter was sending 25 to 50 dogs every two weeks to urban areas in the Midwest with a greater capacity to get them adopted.
That is a common practice, with smaller, rural shelters sending dogs to more populous areas. The pandemic has shut down those transports, however, Brown said.
The shelter is still able to move out a few animals through in-state transports, but not nearly as many as before, and Brown worries about what could happen if the situation doesn’t change “pretty quickly.”
“We can’t fill up our shelter because then we have to start making hard choices,” Brown said. “It’s very concerning times for animals.”
The Kentucky Humane Society, the largest animal adoption agency in the state, works with shelters around Kentucky, including on transporting dogs out of state, but has had to cut back operations in recent weeks to keep staff and volunteers safe.
Many volunteers at animal shelters are retired people, so they are in a group at higher risk from COVID-19.
The Louisville-based organization is still operating its help line for pet owners, but suspended its volunteer program, closed its spay-neuter clinic and closed its shelter operations to the public. The humane society is still doing adoptions by appointment but has set up an online application process.
In ordinary times the organization takes in 100 dogs a week, but on March 26 announced it would stop taking transfers from other shelters.
Not all shelters have seen a drop in adoptions.
The Lexington Humane Society between March 13 and 23 adopted out 135 pets, which was comparable to most years, Hammond said.
Forty of those adoptions occurred over the most recent weekend, Hammond said.
The organization, which had about 200 animals in its care as of Wednesday, closed its main adoption center to the public on Monday but is still hosting animals at its facility in the PetSmart at 1945 Pavilion Way, and hopes soon to offer adoptions by appointment.
The Scott County Humane Sociey had to move its pets from PetSmart but has partnered with Petsense in Georgetown to host adoptable cats. Scott County also has partnered with BISSELL Pet Foundation, which is sponsoring reduced adoption fees across the country as part of an “Empty the Shelters” program to aid organizations facing staff and volunteer shortages.
It hasn’t yet seen a drop-off in adoptions.
“I guess people are home and they finally have time to deal with a new dog or cat,” SCHS board chairperson Kristen Lowry said with a laugh.
‘Nervous’
Shelter representatives and animal-welfare groups cited a number of ways people can help during the current stress on facilities that care for homeless animals.
Hold on to your animals if possible, and call the shelter if you need help. Adopt or foster an animal if you’re healthy and able. If you’re in a position to help, check with the local shelter to see if it could use donations of cash, food or cleaning supplies.
The Lexington Humane Society had to cancel two major upcoming fundraising events because of efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus by barring large public gatherings.
Those events usually bring in a total of about $80,000 a year for the organization’s work.
“We’re a bit on the nervous side, to say the least,” Hammond said.
Shelter operators stressed that they are still available to help people who can’t keep their animals because of health reasons, including COVID-19.
One couple diagnosed in Kentucky called the Scott County Humane Society for assistance with two cats they own, and it was able to locate a family member to retrieve them from the couple’s home.
The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that people have an emergency plan for caring for animals, including having enough food and medication for at least two weeks.
“Your dogs and cats are your family. You need to take care of them as if they were your kids,” said Lowry. “This is not the time to decide to give up your dog or cat.”
Giving or seeking help?
Kentucky Animal Action has established a Google form to connect animal welfare groups, veterinarians and individuals who might be in need of assistance. Click hear to submit your information.
