Paws vs. COVID-19

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Pets during the pandemic have become another lifeline like wine and Uber Eats, though endlessly more precious to us. Animals have been a great support system for people, and vise versa, during the lockdown.

When COVID-19 hit the world near the end of 2019, everyone went into lockdown during 2020. Sadly, animal sanctuaries were greatly affected during the time of the lockdown.

Several animal shelters are recognized as nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. These form of groups mainly operate with donations. Volunteers are also very much needed when it comes to operating an animal shelter.

Gracie Grieshop, the director of marketing at Pet Pal Animal Shelter down in St. Petersburg, states that the organization had a decrease in donations during the time of the pandemic.

When asked about how Pet Pal coped during the lockdown and what they did with volunteers, they replied with, “Fortunately, we were able to afford to keep our staff on duty throughout and still rescue animals. We did however have to halt our adoptions for a brief time. We limited volunteers to 2–4 daily and didn’t accept any new volunteers.”

Unfortunately, these animal sanctuaries were forgotten once everything went into lockdown. Adoption events that are held annually had to be canceled to assist in stopping the spread of coronavirus. Families who were trying to add a new family member had to be turned down. Animals that were stuck in kennels had to stay instead of going to their possibly new forever home.

Many of the rescued animals in shelters need fostering, rehabilitating emotional and physical needs before someone can open their home to a neglected animal.

“I can give these kittens a new and better life,” spoke Aurora Enriquez. She adopted two sibling kittens who were originally fostered during the pandemic. “I feel much happier now that I have these kittens with me.”

Throughout the lockdown, people were isolated from friends and family due to restrictions. Young adults were feeling as if their lives got put on hold, and opportunities slipped away. Having these chances get canceled can cause young adults to have depression and be discouraged.

According to a study done by Mental Health America from data collected between January 2020 to September 2020, “More than half a million people have reported signs of anxiety and/or depression, with Sept. reporting the highest rate of severity since the start of the pandemic. Anxiety screens were up by 634% from January and depression screens were up 873%).”

With this being said, adopting a pet has its benefits for mental and physical health. According to the CDC, owning a pet can help lower stress levels, decrease blood pressure, having a reason to go out to exercise, etc. Owning a pet of your very own can also help with feelings of detachment.

Camila Pulido, a health insurance worker who began working remotely, speaks about her experience through the lockdown with her pet. “What would help me get through the day working at home on the phones is the fact that, if I felt overwhelmed, I could take a moment to breathe, and my dog would be there right next to me, being so relaxed and so calm, that it made me calm as well.”

There was a bright side to all of this. Surprisingly beer companies brought hope to the communities of pet shelters during this time. They brought awareness to these organizations by offering money to cover adoption fees and free beer.

As reported by WFLA, Coors Light was helping 1,000 people cover $100 in adoption fees. People who were willing to adopt had to be of drinking age and provide a receipt of adoption to Coors Light via text message.

Busch Beer tweeted about their offer of a three-month supply of beer to people who adopted or fostered an animal during the coronavirus. Busch Beer was going alongside Midwest Animal Rescue in Minnesota to help get animals into foster homes or be adopted.

CNN reported that a local brewery in Bradenton, Florida, named Motorworks Brewing, was raising awareness of pet shelters before the pandemic hit. They had crafted a beer with labels that featured adoptable dogs. The funds that were raised through purchases of the special beer went to Shelter Manatee. Some of the pups that were placed on the label did get adopted once the beer launched.

People and animals help one another get through the toughest of times. Whether it’s by supporting mentally or opening up a home to the other, they will stand side by side at the end of the day.