March 28, 2024

With many people being kept indoors due to COVID-19, a new pet can be a welcome addition to the home. The Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society has been working hard to make sure that every pet gets a forever place to stay, even during the pandemic. But it is not as simple as just keeping animals until they find their safe space.

“COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on how the Humane Society operates. The Centre is closed to the public. We’ve reduced the number of staff and volunteers who are at the centre on any given day,” stated Marketing and Communications Manager Anya Barradas.

With this decrease in staffing, the adoption process has also been affected at the Humane Society. If you are interested in adopting, you must fill out an online application for the animal you wish to bring home with you. Once your application is reviewed, the Humane Society will organize a phone interview and physical meeting for you and your new pet.

To cope with changes to the adoption process and staff numbers, the Humane Society is looking for more foster families to keep animals until they are adopted in order to keep fewer animals in the facility. This way, the pets also have the opportunity to adjust to life in a home rather than in the shelter.

“We have moved a lot of our community programming like camps, education programs and fundraisers online. We are still in need of more foster families to step forward,” Barradas stated.

As COVID-19 continues on, the Humane Society has happily noticed a decrease in animals arriving at their shelter. “We think it’s because people have more time to look after their animals,” Barradas explained. 

“The Humane Society does not work on a supply and demand model. Just because there is more interest to adopt, it doesn’t mean we can just get more animals. The animals that we have for adoption come to us as rescues, strays and some surrenders.”

Overall, adoption rates have not been affected much this year with the Humane Society, and as the number of animals arriving has decreased, it has allowed for the changes with their adoption process to be implemented and provided a safe process for both the animals and their adopters.

“We are hopeful that people realize that adopting an animal is a commitment for the life of that animal,” said Barradas.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society hosts dogs, cats and small animals for adoption. All animals available are posted on their website, as well as opportunities to volunteer and become a foster family for a furry friend. 

Find them at: https://www.kwhumane.com/ 

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