Even though your local animal shelter may not have any animals ready to adopt, it doesn’t mean they are not at capacity.
It was a couple of weeks ago when Bide Awhile Animal Shelter was in that situation, with 50 to 60 animals still in their care.
Sam Cole with Bide Awhile Animal Shelter in Dartmouth tells us it’s a common misconception.
“We really just wanted to put out the educational piece that while we might not have animals available for adoption, we do still have animals in the shelter,” says Cole.
These animals go through an isolation period with assessments from their team, veterinarian and all the medical assessments.
Because that can take time, Cole says it can be confusing.
“We certainly understand that it can be disappointing when you come into the shelter ready to bring home a new family member and we don’t have any available.”
She says their adoption rates have been crazy with a huge increase in demand.
“Whether that’s kittens, adult cats or seniors or any of our dogs. They all seem to be getting adopted insanely quickly,” adds Cole.
As of now, Bide Awhile does have seven animals ready for adoption including Bundo, Kiwi, Luna and Ginger.
Cole says there are four adults and seniors so they might take a little longer to get snatched up but should find a new home within a week or two.
“Sometimes with the seniors we are seeing them hang around a little bit longer because they might have some older challenges. They might have some medical complications that come with the aging of a cat,” explains Cole.
As for the young ones, it takes an hour or two after they advertise.
“It’s become a game or an Olympic sport,” says Cole. “It’s crazy. The demand for adoption. It’s something we never would have expected to be saying that we have no animals at certain times for adoption.”
Why has the demand increased?
“With the rising cost of living a lot of people are staying home more. I think having an animal in your home is really filling that social need that a lot of people are seeking,” says Cole. “An animal is a really great fit for that.”
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