Homes For Orphaned Pets Adoption and Education Center COVID-19 update
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » In compliance with the directives in place from Governor Cuomo, The Homes For Orphaned Pets Adoption and Education Center (H.O.P.E.) closed its doors at its Wilton Mall location for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Founder and Executive Director Wendy Mongillo issued an update on the animal rescue and adoption center’s operations. The group whose mission it is to find good matches in forever homes or by fostering accommodations had only just celebrated a soft opening on Jan. 26. within the Wilton Mall.
She was waiting for the final adoptive “pet parent” to arrive to pick up the last cat to be adopted before temporarily closing on Saturday, March 22.
“We wanted to thank the public who have been super supportive, and everyone involved to know that the cats and dogs are safely in forever homes or foster homes upon the day of temporary closing, on Saturday, March 22.
“Since we opened here, we’ve adopted out 48 cats. As long as the Covid-19 outbreak continues, we will continue to process adoptions by appointment only. If someone must surrender their animal during this time, H.O.P.E. will assist by placing the pet in the care of a foster volunteer until a forever home can be located for the animal,” Mongillo said.
Dogs and cats can still be adopted by appointment only during this time.
In addition, Mongillo said that H.O.P.E. looks forward to being able to reschedule the Grand Opening that has yet to take place because of the pandemic.
“All scheduled events are cancelled for now, and our annual fundraiser planned for March 25 at the Inn at Saratoga will be rescheduled.”
In order to allay the concerns and misinformation on social media,Mongillo referred concerns regarding animals and Coronavirus 2019 to the Center For Disease Control (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/ animals.html, where information is available regarding companion animals such as cats and dogs. The CDC states that: • Coronaviruses that infect animals can become able to infect people, but this is rare.
• We do not know the exact source of the current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• We do not have evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19.
• We do not have evidence to suggest that imported animals or animal products imported pose a risk for spreading the 2019 novel coronavirus in the United States.
• Some coronaviruses, such as canine and feline coronaviruses, only infect animals and do not infect humans.