Holiday Pet Adoptions Different This Year
WHEELING - Canines and cats at local animal shelters are anxiously awaiting adoption this holiday season, but COVID concerns have changed the process this year.
Prospective pet owners just can’t walk in and obtain that doggy in the window. They first must fill out applications at the dog shelter, and if approved they then can schedule a time to come in and meet the animals.
If they find a connection with a future pet, they can typically take home later that day or the next day, according to officials at local animal shelters.
“We are having them fill out applications online then we have them come out and meet the animals. That way they only come here once,” said Lisa Williams-Duvall, director of the Belmont County Animal Shelter.
She advises those looking to obtain an animal for Christmas to “not go for looks, but for breed and personality.”
“Is this breed for you?” Williams-Duval said potential pet owners should ask. “Read about them first, and energy levels and size. Is your apartment big enough? Do you have the time to walk a husky or pitbull, who need a lot of exercise. Or do you need a smaller dog that’s not as energetic.”
The animal shelter tends to take in a large number of pitbull dogs, according to Williams-Duvall. This is because their initial owners weren’t aware of how energetic they can be.
“If you have teenagers who like to walk a dog, that’s great for a dog with a lot of energy,” she said.
The animal shelter is presently at its capacity for cats, as they are limited to just 36 at one time. There are some on waiting lists to enter, and other local cat rescues also are overpopulated, Williams-Duvall said.
Shelters just want to make certain the pets being adopted are a good fit for their new family.
“If you are getting them as a present, we don’t adopt them out Christmas Eve,” she said. “You have to take ahead of time to get them acclimated.
“With the COVID, you shouldn’t have a lot of people in. But if you do, this is all a new situation for the dog. If you have only had it a week or two, you don’t want to shove it into the middle of a family and say, ‘Look at my new dog.’ The dog is just a nervous wreck and could wind up biting somebody.
“The dog is just getting to know you, much less those people who are only going to be there a couple of hours.”
Williams-Duvall said it takes about 30 days for a dog to decompress and become acclimated with a family after coming from a shelter.
Brandon Henry, director of the Marshall County Animal Shelter, said his shelter also is requiring an application from prospective pet owners before they can meet the animals.
He said adoptions at the shelter have gone up this year during the COVID pandemic, but there still are a high number of cats there in need of homes.
“We have more cats getting adopted, but our cat population is high in the first place,” Henry said.
He encourages those seeking to adopt a pet to realize the commitment.
“You’re getting an animal — you have got to get it for the good times and the bad times. Just because you get it as a Christmas present doesn’t mean it isn’t a life-long commitment.”
The Ohio County Animal Shelter has been closed to the public since Nov. 16 due to COVID concerns. Calls to the shelter on Monday were not answered.