When COVID-19 first became prevalent, adopters came flocking to our campus, excited for the opportunity to spend ample time with a new fur baby while they worked from home. We were thrilled to see so many companion pets go to loving homes and saw a silver lining in the midst of the beginnings of much uncertainty. Then April hit and roughly 60% of those adoptions came back to us through animal services. Why? Well, that’s about the time new stories started reporting that dogs and cats could ‘catch’ COVID-19 and sent owners in a panic.
Since then, our campus has remained largely at capacity with adoptions down by almost half in the months that followed and still to this day. We split our capacity county into two categories: adoption and animal services. Our adoption capacity is twenty dogs and twenty cats whereas our animal services capacity is forty dogs and forty-five cats.
This bring our total animals in facility to 60 dogs and 65 cats at any point in time.
COVID-19 Facts
According to the CDC, research on animals contracting COVID-19 is limited. However, research shows that animals infecting humans is rare. The CDC reports, “… there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus…” Dogs, cats and other animals are able to contract the virus through direct contact with humans already infected with COVID-19.
Our Response to COVID-19
Lake City Humane Society is dedicated to maintaining safety for all of our companion animals and their new families. We ask that you not schedule an appointment, or call to reschedule, if you are experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms, are waiting test results or are within your 14-day quarantine. In addition to regularly scheduled cleanings of public areas, kennels and such, we have mandated:
The Adoption Center is now by appointment only – allowing 1 family in the center at a time.
Clinic Services are drop off only, with techs coming to your vehicle.
Following CDC guidelines, we require face masks within the buildings and have hand sanitizer readily available. If you have any questions or concerns, you are encouraged to give us a call!
Donation Link: https://lchs.harnessapp.com/wv2/donate