Quarantine’s Best Friend
Newly rescued Husky and black Labrador-German Shepard mix go on a walk after being picked up from the shelter by SMC student Emma Holm. April 12, 2020 in Miracle Mile, Calif. (Photo Courtesy of Emma Holm).
Current sheltering-in-place may be to blame for Los Angeles Animal Shelters quickly running out of adoptable animals. So many people are trying to adopt or foster animals right now, that shelters are actually having trouble meeting the demand.
"They are experiencing a decreased owner surrender and increased adoptions. The decrease of surrenders and found pets is due to COVID restrictions and shelters are closed to public... so you have less pets coming in, with increased adoption interest is the resulting low shelter population right now," said Marcy Janes, owner of Gone to the Dogs Rescue, a charity non-profit animal rescue.
According to Janes, they have been receiving at least 50 percent more foster and adoption applications than usual.
Now that a majority of people are at home most of the time, it makes sense that people are more interested in getting a pet right now. "I definitely think pets can provide so much benefit, pets can help with having routine, and it can be so calming to have a little 'fur time' after a rough day, and dogs can be so silly," said Amber Sall, a social worker and representative from Santa Monica College's Center For Wellness & Wellbeing.
Santa Monica College student, Emma Holm, who rescued a 6-year old husky named Neeko to foster from the East Valley Animal shelter in Van Nuys, CA on March 6, right as social distancing and self isolation began to take effect in southern California. The dog had some medical issues, which elongated the process of finding him a 'forever home'.
"It was super difficult to find a new home for the husky due to his medical condition and the pandemic. I contacted pretty much every rescue in LA but all of them are pretty much out of resources as they have had to pull so many dogs out of the shelters as both LA city and shelters outside of LA has (sic) been closing shelters one after another,” said Holm. She was able to get in touch with a veterinarian over the phone, who told Holm how to treat the dog’s tooth pain.
After dedicated efforts from Holm, the dog is doing much better, showcasing the importance of foster care for dogs. "So with a lot of time and me hand-feeding him in the beginning, he went from being a super-thin wreck from the shelter, to have (sic) an amazing appetite and eating like he should- gaining loads of weight and getting his energy back," said Holm.
In spite of the obstacles, Holm was able to find a wonderful 'forever home' for the husky. "He finally found his forever home this weekend and now is heading up to Minneapolis with his new adopter," said Holm.
On March 11, Holm picked up another dog from the Victor Valley Animal Protective League in Apple Valley, CA. This dog was a 4-month old black Labrador-German Shepherd mix named Olive that was turned in as a stray. When Holm went to Victor Valley Animal Protective League to adopt Olive, everyone was wearing masks, and she was told to come in alone to fill out documents, limiting the number of people in the building at once. Holm chose to adopt Olive permanently.
Fostering is a compatible option for those who cannot commit to getting a pet permanently. The benefits are mutual, as it helps free up a spot at the shelter for new pets, allows the pet adequate preparation for their adoption with their 'forever home', and helps socialize the dog in a home environment, potentially giving them some experience being around other dogs. Those interested in fostering should reach out to their local shelter or rescue group as long as they are able to commit at least four weeks to their foster pet.
Unfortunately, due to such high demand, some shelters are not currently accepting foster applications.
Shelters are practicing many safety precautions right now. Most shelters are open by appointment only. East Valley Animal shelter, for example, has people wait outside, where they will bring all of the needed documents, preventing unneeded access to the inside of the shelter.
According to Janes, Los Angeles Animal Services have consolidated shelters, temporarily resulting in closing some smaller shelters. "This is probably a tricky situation because those people who are wanting (sic) to give their dog up are probably just waiting until shelters open. Once restrictions are done, my guess is that shelter populations will explode, probably more so with people going back to work and school and realizing they have created a dog with separation anxiety because they were home all the time," said Janes.
In spite of high demand, furry friends are not an impossible feat; persistence and patience are key.
For more information on adopting or fostering a dog contact your local animal shelter or rescue group. Information on Los Angeles Animal Services and all of their locations can be found at www.laanimalservices.com.
