Animal adoptions have increased during the pandemic

If it feels like almost everyone you know adopted a pet during the pandemic, you’re not just imagining things.

That might be the biggest silver lining of Covid-19, said Jeff Voelpel, CEO of the Humane Society of Pinellas, a no-kill shelter where more than 1,000 animals have found new homes so far this year.  

Jeff Voelpel

“The shelter system in Pinellas County throughout Covid has had considerably fewer animals available to adopt because adoptions have been up so much,” Voelpel said. “That’s certainly great for the animals.”

While Voelpel can’t say for sure the pandemic is the reason adoptions and fosters are up for both dogs and cats, his assumption is that Covid-19 has something to do with it.

“So many of us are now working from home and many people might be looking for companionship,” he said. “Plus, there’s the convenience factor. It’s a lot easier to deal with a new family pet, especially a puppy, when you’re home a lot.”

Voelpel is pleased that despite the high rates of unemployment, the number of people surrendering their pets hasn’t been significant, though he’s concerned that should the pandemic linger, more families might be faced with that difficult decision. But that’s not his biggest worry.

“The thing I’m most concerned about is as we do find a new normal and we’re able to relax and start going into the office again, are we going to see an influx the other way?” he wondered. “People might be thinking ‘what am I going to do with this dog when I’m at work?’ It’s really easy to have a dog when you’re quarantining, but when you have a 55-hour-a-week office job, how easy is it?”

Looking back

In the early days of Covid, Voelpel didn’t have time to ponder what might happen in the future. He was simply worried that the Humane Society wouldn’t be able to keep operating.

“There was a time when everyone was talking about essential workers and if you’re not considered essential, we were thinking ‘who’s going to take care of the animals?’” he said. “And then from there, what if someone gets sick? What if this decimates our staff?”

Once it was clear that the Humane Society would be allowed to continue to stay open, Voelpel and his team got to work implementing safety precautions. Masks were required. “Stay six feet apart” stickers were applied to the floor. Plexiglass dividers were installed. For a brief period, adoptions were only done by appointment but that didn’t last long. Now, staff monitor the entrance to limit the number of people coming in at one time.

“We want to keep this process as easy as humanly possible,” Voelpel said. “Whatever we create needs to be welcoming because there are a lot of animals out there that need homes. We need to keep bringing people back.”

Because adoptions have been up and the Humane Society has more vacant space, Voelpel and his team have been able to step up more in terms of outreach. They’ve been going out and picking up animals from other shelters around the Tampa Bay area in an effort to find homes for them.

“Since we’re not full, we’re going out into the community and taking as many animals as we can,” Voelpel said. 

Looking forward

Aside from dealing with logistics, Voelpel also faces the challenge of running a nonprofit during a pandemic. He’s had to cancel event after event, including the Humane Society’s biggest fundraiser, the Fur Ball, which was scheduled for October.

“We’re really struggling with our fundraising because we can’t hold in-person meetings and events,” Voelpel said, adding that half of the Humane Society’s operating budget comes from donations. “It’s been a huge kick in the teeth because we’re so reliant on our donors and when we can’t meet with them, it becomes difficult.”

The one virtual event they’ve held so far wasn’t very successful, but Voelpel isn’t giving up. He’s working on other fundraising plans for a walk, a bike ride and other socially distant activities. And an anonymous donor is gifting a dollar for dollar match for donations up to $50,000. More than $18,000 has been raised so far. To donate, click here.

For more stories in the Catalyst series The New Normal: Six Months Under Covid, click here.