Animal shelters in New York and California have a fraction of workers on site — and restricted or suspended adoption policies — amid the coronavirus outbreak, employees and advocates said Friday.
In California, where a shelter-in-place order is in effect, needy animals are pouring into rescue centers even as adoption programs are temporarily halted, said Karalyn Aronow, Vice President of Operations at the East Bay SPCA.
“There is certainly concern because there’s a backlog of shelter animals,” Aronow told The Post. “Animals are coming in and not getting adopted.”
She said staff caring for dogs and cats had been cut by 75 percent at some shelters.
In New York City — which is still considering a shelter-in-place rule — animal rescue centers limited pet surrenders to “emergencies only” and restricted outsiders from entering buildings, making adoptions harder.
“[Only] interested adopters, fosters and emergency-only pet surrenders will be allowed in the building,” Animal Care Centers of NYC announced.
In other cases, like in Elk Grove City, Calif., adoption programs were suspended completely and volunteers were significantly reduced.
Some staffers are finding creative ways to place pets, using the internet and their own houses, said Jill Tucker, CEO of the California Animal Welfare Association.
“Some shelters are having people go home and work remotely to connect pets with potential adoptive parents,” Tucker said.
She said feeding and caring for shelter animals is considered “essential business” — a state-sanctioned reason to leave home while shelter-in-place rules are in effect.
