While humans are often at the center of the COVID-19 drama, their pets have also had to endure changes in their lives too.
Since transport of adoptable animals to local shelters from the southern United States are not being allowed by Vermont’s Governor, Chelsea Beauregard Kiessling, Shelter Director of the Humane Society, said that the Humane Society was focused on local animal needs for now.
“We are still doing intakes of animals in the community, we’re just doing it curbside,” she said.
Kiessling said that during the lockdown it fell to staff to care for the animals due to the lack of animal care volunteers.
One way they tried to manage the increased responsibility was by finding people to foster more animals.
“We had a huge increase in people who wanted to foster. They’re at home and lonely so why not give the animals a break?”
There were many people waiting to foster as a result of the demand, she said.
The Humane Society began to open the shelter gradually, allowing potential adopters to view pets by appointment and for some animal care volunteers to return, she said.
If pet owners weren’t able to care for their animals, due to being sick with COVID-19 or any other reason, the shelter would care for them for two week at no cost to the owner, Kiessling said.
The time period could be longer depending on the amount of pets at the shelter, she said.
Play time
Pet owner Alice Schroder said her dog Marta has been enjoying the outdoors more, as her human family has been unable to work outside the house.
“I would say she’s getting about 50% more time outside than she was before,” she said.
She described going to the vet with Marta, and how the usual ways of doing things there had changed.
“You have to park and then you call them to tell them what your concerns are and they come out and they take your pet. You can’t go into the vet, you have to stay in your car,” she said.
The vet called her after the appointment and informed her of the state of Marta’s health.
The only in-person interaction between the vet and the owner is when they take the pet and then when they bring the pet back.
She said it caused her to have some anxiety about how Marta was doing, but that she wasn’t too worried.
“I’m sure that it bothers some pet owners, but I trust the vets,” she said.
While Marta gets nervous at the vet, Schroder doesn’t know for sure if her presence at the vet makes it easier or not, although it probably does.
“I mean I get it, but she’s just nervous about everything,” she said.
Schroder said she has friends in Boston that are struggling more with taking care of their pets because of the loss of employment.
Jean MacBride 