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2020: Year in Recap

Two black and white cats cuddled together on a chair
by
February 08, 2021
in Humane Education Column
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Record pet adoptions was the first surprising trend that came out of the initial stay-at-home orders enacted across the nation last spring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  As many of you remember, for the first time in Ark-Valley Humane Society’s history, every kennel in our shelter building was emptied as cats and dogs found adoptive or foster homes at record rates.  With bated breath, our staff, board, and volunteers wondered if this trend would reverse and shelters, including ours, would eventually begin to fill up with returned animals or newly relinquished pets.

Amazingly, our foster program has stayed strong and our pet intake overall has been down 37%.  It seems this pandemic has had a silver lining for pets, as more people are home to care for pets and appreciate the companionship their pets provide.  Even more surprising is that this is not just a local trend.  According to Shelter Animals Count, a national database, data from 1,270 animal welfare organizations across the country found that 548,966 pets entered those shelters in March through June 2020, compared to 840,750 during the same period last year—a reduction of 35 percent.

Not only is this reason to celebrate, but so was the resulting increase in lives saved, with tens of thousands fewer cats and dogs euthanized in shelters nationwide.  It has been a long-standing practice at AVHS that every healthy or treatable cat or dog we receive will find a loving home, and now this is a possibility shared by many more shelters across the country.  Nevertheless, pet homelessness still exists and if we want these positive trends to continue there are two areas of focus that will need the attention of our programs and our community: Pet Retention and Puppy Mill Education.

Keeping pets in homes, especially in the face of economic hardship or housing instability, requires strong pet retention programs.  This year AVHS has improved its shelter services, which include a pet food bank, pet boarding for families in crisis, spay/neuter assistance, and behavioral support for owned pets.  In partnership with Chaffee County Community Foundation we are currently working on implementing a community pet emergency medical fund as well.

Pet stores and online pet sellers have seen the pandemic as an opportunity to increase their share of the puppy or kitten market.  It is important that families still look to shelters first when searching for a new pet.  A wonderful resource for this is Petfinder.com, a website that helps connect people with pets available for adoption at shelters and in rescues throughout the country.  If you are considering buying from a breeder, remember, if you are unable to go visit the puppy or kitten and its parents and siblings, and see the conditions of where they and any other animals are living, steer clear!  Puppies at pet stores or available to ship to your door or a nearby airport likely come from a puppy mill, where parent dogs suffer in cruel and inhumane conditions.  Don’t believe promises of “no puppy mill”, customer reviews or health guarantees.

Thank you for doing your part, in our local community and beyond, to ensure that all pets have the loving homes they deserve!  Wishing you a winter of good health and plenty of cuddle time with your pets.

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