Animal shelters see surge in adoptions

The phones started ringing and emails came pouring in at shelters for abandoned dogs and cats around the region in mid-March. The inquires have been coming in ever since, as families and single people stuck at home decide the time is right to welcome a furry friend into their lives.

It’s one of the more unexpected turns of events in the coronavirus era, animal shelters have been placing dogs and cats in new homes at an unprecedented rate.

At Adopt-A-Dog, a shelter just over the Greenwich border in Armonk, N.Y., adoptions of animals have been surging. The shelter typically houses 35 to 45 animals, and it now has about 20, some of which are preparing for potential adoption.

“There’s been a major increase in interest,” said Samara Enders, a shelter spokeswoman. “It started right when all the social distancing started to happen, when people were at home, looking for something to do. Having a dog gives them something to do, and it helps out a shelter dog in need.”

Like many shelters, Adopt-A-Dog allows people to take in a dog for a trial period, in a “foster-care” arrangement for a week or two to make sure it’s a good fit for all involved, before moving to a permanent adoption.

The Connecticut Humane Society found new foster homes for 77 after social-distancing orders went into effect at shelters in Westport, Newington and Waterford. The transition was accomplished in two days, and it included dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds.

“Everyone was so willing to help,” said Bliss Kern, district manager for the humane society in Westport.