More people adopting, fostering animals in Lee County

Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News

Animal shelters say there’s a spike in people adopting and fostering dogs and cats, but there remains a concern about what will happen to pets if more people lose their jobs.

A dog named “Daisy” was abandoned in the Redlands outside Miami before being turned over to Cape Coral Animal Shelter after her owner said he was afraid Daisy would get the coronavirus and then pass it on to him. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that isn’t true.

But what about the impacts COVID-19 is having on finances?

Southwest Florida animal shelters say they aren’t seeing a spike in pet surrenders because of the virus – just the opposite.

“We’ve had a lot of great success, people coming forward to want to use this time to adopt an animal into their home,” said Liz McCauley, executive director of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter.

“Pets are being adopted and going home. Pets are going into foster homes,” said Jennifer Galloway, CEO of the Gulf Coast Humane Society.

Shelters across Southwest Florida are happy to see their kennels open up but they’re also worried about some unintended issues that may come up during this coronavirus pandemic.

“If people aren’t going out of their homes and getting their animals vaccinated, there could be a spike in parvo and distemper,” McCauley said.

Since people are losing their jobs, Galloway said she anticipates there will be some surrenders.

The Gulf Coast Humane Society said it’s trying to increase dog and cat food donations to help pet owners.

“We don’t want folks to be considering dog or cat food as a reason to surrender their pet.”

As for Daisy, the shelter posted on Facebook a family in the area has given her a new home along with new fur friends.

The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has stopped spaying and neutering animals. It says this is just in case local hospitals need the personal protective equipment it has on hand.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.