30+ Of The Most Wholesome Rescue Pet Photos (Part 5)

Animal rescue organizations reported an increase in adoption and foster applications at the start of the lockdown. Later, through, various contradicting articles began to emerge. People stepped up to foster at an unprecedented rate after things shut down in mid-March last year, according to Temma Martin, Public Relations Manager at Best Friends Animal Society. "24PetWatch is a shelter management program that has been tracking overall aggregate numbers for the 1,200 organizations that utilize their database to highlight the impact of the pace of change since COVID across all organizations. According to their data, the first week after the shutdowns began (March 14-20, 2020) witnessed a 93 percent rise in animals going to foster compared to the previous week "Before," Martin explained.

As the weeks and months of COVID and 2020 progressed, adoptions and fosters tapered out, but it was still a fantastic year for pet fostering and adoption.

"The contradicting claims about how it compared to the previous year need to be explained. They are the result of comparing overall numbers of adoptions and pets in foster care year over year vs. looking at the percentage adopted or fostered compared to the number of shelter animals available."

"Here's why: While there are clearly numerous groups that have witnessed increased real numbers of adoptions and fosters since the start of the pandemic," Martin stated, "the national stats sources that organizations use reflect a little more nuanced picture."

The actual (raw) number of adoptions is down from the previous year. Adoptions as a percentage of intake, on the other hand, are increasing. This indicates that, happily, because the intake was lower in 2020—fewer animals entered shelters—there were fewer animals in need of adoption.

However, in comparison to the number of animals available, the percentage of animals adopted was higher than in 2019.

"According to 24PetWatch, shelter populations in 2020 (as compared to 2019) were down considerably, therefore there were less animals to adopt," Martin explained. "Adoptions (in raw numbers) were approximately 20% lower in 2020, yet they were over 4% higher as a percentage of animals in the sheltering system than in 2019."

"Like adoptions, foster rates (as a percentage of the shelter population) were roughly 6 points higher in 2020 (although around 3% lower in the raw number of animals fostered)," Martin continued. "Fostering rates climbed more significantly for cats than for dogs, while both increased."

Due of the epidemic, many animal shelters and rescue organizations were closed to the public. Best Friends' Lifesaving Centers were no exception. However, they changed and began conducting more virtual work, demonstrating to many that ending pet homelessness requires more than just a structure.

Virtual adoptions, when potential adopters meet available pets and their foster parents, as well as an adoption specialist, through video chats, is one of the largest developments that happened almost instantaneously, according to Martin. "Not only for Best Friends, but for shelters and rescue groups across the country, this turnaround occurred."

Surprisingly, several organizations claim that virtual adoptions are even more successful than traditional adoptions. This could be because pets perform better in foster homes than in kennels or cages, according to Martin. "Rather than meeting a dog or cat in a shelter, adopters can meet them virtually in a house or on a couch, and see their genuine personality show in a foster home."

Foster parents also have a better understanding of the animals and can engage directly in the virtual adoption process, sharing with possible adopters how the pets interact with other animals and family members, as well as their unique likes and dislikes, abilities, and mannerisms.

"One of the pandemic's silver linings is how a transformational vision for animal shelters, which many organizations, including Best Friends, have been developing and piloting, is speeding and spreading. When the epidemic first struck, animal shelters appealed to their communities for help, and those communities responded in a way we had never seen before, stepping forward to be a part of the solution. Shelters, for example, saw an unprecedented number of people sign up to foster children. For the first time in their history, some shelters totally vacated their kennels."

Martin believes that this new approach to community-supported sheltering will endure long after the pandemic has passed.

Also, keep in mind that you can support shelter animals even if you are unable to adopt one at this time. Not only that, but you can help keep animals from entering shelters in the first place.

"People can directly assist shelters by volunteering, contributing, and spreading the information if they have the opportunity. Foster a pet, even if you can't adopt one right now "Martin said.

You can also consider donating to initiatives that assist individuals keep their dogs at home, such as pet food pantries run by shelters or human food banks. "The pandemic has upended everyone's lives since last year, but a sad number of people in every town have also been financially destroyed during this tough period," Martin said.

"Many pet owners who were employed prior to the pandemic may now be wondering how they'll afford to buy the next bag of dog or cat food to care for and keep their pets safe at home from week to week." A bag of pet food can mean the difference between keeping a dog or cat at home and having to make the difficult decision to surrender their pet to a shelter."

Additionally, check into other resources that help pets and people to see if there's anything else you can do. There are resources available in many communities, from temporary housing for displaced pets, to pet food pantries, to free and low-cost spay and neuter and veterinary care. Martin said that other community-supported options might include reaching out to friends and family on social media, your veterinarian, or apps like Next Door.

"Know the power of neighbors helping neighbors. Helping people find needed resources or even providing temporary foster care for the pets of neighbors in crisis can help keep their pets from being relinquished to shelters as they get back on their feet. Here's a link about forming a neighborhood network."

Martin pointed out that before last year’s stay-at-home orders confined pee, many would-be pet parents across the country may have felt they didn’t have the time or weren’t home enough to foster or adopt an animal. But a lot has changed since then. For so many people who are now working remotely from home, it seems there’s no better time to welcome a furry friend into their lives.

"This has been a fantastic time to adopt because pets are just good for us. Numerous studies have determined that the presence of pets is beneficial for our physical and mental health. The companionship of animals has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lessen depression and anxiety, helping people to feel calmer and more secure when the news from the outside world is distressing."

"Many first-time fosters or adopters who have been working from home during the pandemic have realized how easy it is to care for a pet, and that they really do have time to have a pet around, even after they go back to work," Martin said.

"By now people have undoubtedly discovered the secret reality of what dogs and cats really do all day. Whether there are people around or not, they mostly sleep, with a bit of eating and playing mixed in--all things that they can do just as easily without human companionship. Plenty of people work full-time jobs and provide loving homes to foster or adopted pets."