August 13, 2023 | Categories: Pet Health
Here’s How Animal Shelters Are Affected by COVID-19
While our pets are loving all the time and attention they’ve been getting with their owners staying at home, homeless animals and the shelters that serve them have many needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about how animal shelters have been impacted during this crisis, we talked to Raissa Allaire, Executive Director, Tree House Humane Society, Chicago’s oldest cage-free cat shelter, and Maggie Lynch, Development Director, Austin Pets Alive!, a no-kill shelter in Austin.
These animal shelters are ones Merrick has been donating food to for years. In 2019, Merrick Pet Care donated more than 1.4 million pounds of food across the nation to feed dogs and cats searching for their forever home and service dogs in training. As the exclusive food partner for Austin Pets Alive!, Merrick Pet Care donated 110,000-plus pounds of food last year. Merrick donated 9,400-plus pounds of food in 2019 to the Tree House Humane Society to feed nearly 6,000 cats.
In addition to having feed and resource needs during the pandemic, animal shelters have encountered unique challenges during this crisis. “Because we were going to have to have reduced staff on-site, we ordered our April delivery a month early and Merrick Pet Care stepped right up and got it to us so we were well situated with food and didn’t have to worry about having enough staff around to unload and store it [during stay-at-home orders],” says Lynch. “They’re so flexible and good to work with.”
“I’ve been assessing all the different opportunities that have emerged during this pandemic and am trying to create more scenario planning to make sure that Tree House emerges from the situation stronger,” says Allaire.
Discover how theses organizations pivoted during the coronavirus pandemic and how you can help your local animal shelter.
Offer virtual adoptions.
“Even though we’re closed officially to the public, we still doing adoptions,” says Allaire. “An unprecedented number of volunteers stepped up to foster and all of our cats were moved to foster homes. We’re using technology to do the vetting, screening, matchmaking of families with cats, and documentation.” When the cats are adopted, the new owners can meet at the foster home or the shelter. “We try to make that moment as safe as possible both for our staff and the general public,” says Allaire.
“Our fundraising is very heavily focused on marketing and engagement and connecting people to the stories that are going on every day in the shelter,” says Lynch. “We have to work a little harder to get those stories by having a member of our marketing team go in and shoot video and take photos,” says Lynch. Over 1,300 pets from their facility are in foster homes right now.
Involve your online communities.
The Tree House Humane Society started a social media campaign to “show us your [pet] coworker” using the hashtag #HireACoworker on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. It’s an easy way to keep in touch with their community while expanding their reach when people post pics of their furry coworkers using the hashtags. The Tree House Humane Society is also hosting Facebook Live events. “Staff will answer questions on cat behavior with well-known people in the community to encourage the dialogue and the conversations,” says Allaire
“We’re doing a lot of Facebook Live sessions now, more than we normally do because it’s a really great way to connect with people and give them a sense of inclusion about what’s going on,” says Lynch. We all could use a few more cuddly dogs and cats in our social media feeds. Follow these accounts and your local shelter for posts that will make you smile.
Be prepared for future spay/neuter surgeries.
Ask for what you need.
Austin Pets Alive! normally meets with their major donors in person and instead, they’ve been hosting online town halls exclusive to certain segments of donors and making sure they get time with the program’s Executive Director so they can ask questions and be informed, says Lynch. Although the organization’s fundraising is up, “Thrift stores support a significant part of our operations and we’re losing money every day that they’re closed,” says Lynch. “Our thrift store team created online sites and sales and now we’re getting some money through those avenues.”
The Tree House Humane Society has a section on their site about “Ways to Give” that outlines how to help—whether it’s through a financial donation, sponsoring a cat, fulfilling their Amazon Wish List, or using AmazonSmile.
The Tree House Humane Society hosted a mini fundraiser where they had volunteers draw pets after owners sent in their photos. “We raised close to $1,100 online and our volunteers had a blast doing it,” says Allaire.
Be nimble with technology.
“We deployed our technology so that our shelter staff can answer phones, emails, and be on live web chats from their homes,” says Allaire. “It’s like they’re sitting at our front desk.” Staff members at these organizations stay in touch with their team members through Zoom calls, emails and chat software. This can be a good opportunity for any organization to have staff learn new skills, complete training, and work on professional development if they have more time in their days.
Keep your community in mind.
Merrick Pet Care is dedicating to helping pet owners in their hometown community of Amarillo, Texas, by giving away food at a drive-thru pet pantry at the Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare facility.
We kept our pet food pantry going during this crisis because we recognize that there’s a need, especially during this time, for food and litter, Allaire says. Every other Thursday the staff set out food and litter. “Before COVID, we would have days when we ran out of food,” says Allaire. “There’s always a demand and even more so now. We’re trying to figure out how to replenish our inventory as best as we can and to provide what’s needed.”
Educate your network. Lynch and her team created a document to come up with an emergency plan for your pet if you get sick. Every pet owner should have a plan in place that they’ve shared with a loved one.
“Despite the difficulty and challenges, [this situation] has made us more nimble and innovative,” says Allaire. “I think that the whole sector is going to adapt post-COVID-19. “If there’s a silver lining, we’ve learned how to work in different ways—in creative ways.”
Contact your local animal shelter to discover ways you can help!
-By Diana Kelly Levey
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