5 Things I Learned from Animal Welfare Leaders Adapting to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Today, we’re celebrating #GivingTuesdayNow, a day that encourages us all to give what we can – of our time, talent, money or other support – to nonprofit organizations to help them with their work. We’re celebrating a holiday that normally occurs in December because like so many people, nonprofit organizations are facing challenges, including increasing support for their communities while dealing with reduced donations.

Among these nonprofits are animal welfare organizations that rely on donations and grants to operate. I had the opportunity to speak with 12 leaders from organizations like these, all of whom have received grants from the Banfield Foundation in the past, thanks to generous donations to the foundation. You can listen to my conversations with these leaders on the Animal Marketing Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, thanks to Avenue, a digital marketing agency in Portland who donated the airtime to the Banfield Foundation.

 I’d like to share 5 of the most important things I learned from leaders in animal welfare who continue to provide critical support to their communities despite the impacts of COVID-19.

1: Shelters are incredible centers of agile innovation. If you think about it, animal shelters are accustomed to crisis. Most of the time, they serve people and pets who desperately need help. They understand what it truly means to get creative and to adapt to new challenges. The same is true today, when shelters are still managing to provide emergency services, adoption support and even emergency care to pets in need.

2: There is no shortage of compassion. When the pandemic hit U.S. shores, one of my big concerns was the economic crisis that came with it would leave families unable to care for their families, including their pets. As a result, many of us worried that shelters would quickly become full of relinquished pets. And while that is certainly happening in some areas and to some families, I’ve also been truly moved by the number of families that have adopted or stepped up to foster shelter pets. There are shelters that are sitting empty for the first time, all because people have opened their homes and hearts to a newly adopted or foster pet.

3. The human-pet bond is a powerful force. Just as impressive as the number of fosters and adoptions we’ve seen, is the number of people who are willing to do whatever they can to keep their pets, despite the personal hardship they’re experiencing. One of the incredible things that animal welfare organizations do is help families find the assistance they need, such as low- or no-cost veterinary care, pet food pantries or other resources that make it possible for pets to stay in a consistent, loving home. That bond that brings people and pets together is so important, and in a crisis like this, the dedication we’ve seen to maintaining that bond is so heartwarming.

4. Shelters serve people as much as pets. When people come to a shelter, it’s often because they are experiencing a challenge that’s affecting their ability to care for their pet. Whether they’re dealing with financial trouble, food insecurity, or even domestic violence, people will often seek help for their pets first. In many cases, animal hospitals or shelters serve as de facto first-responders for social support for humans – they can see the need for help long before an individual is willing or able to ask for it. Especially during a widespread crisis like this one, shelters play an important role in ensuring that families, as well as pets, are able to find the help and support they desperately need.  

5. Fostering is not a moment; it’s a movement. We’ve seen a huge uptick in fostering since COVID-19 lockdowns began. As I mentioned before, some shelters are empty – and some of those for the first time – because people are adopting or fostering pets while they’re staying home. Fostering means fewer people are required to provide day-to-day pet care in shelters. It frees up space for homeless pets that need emergency shelter. It provides important socialization opportunities for pets, and, in more cases than some of us would like to admit, it’s a direct pathway to adoption. The support of foster families isn’t just helping shelters stay open in the short term – it has a real role to play moving forward. One of the big impacts of COVID-19 on the animal welfare sector is that it could help us redefine the purpose of animal shelters – not as temporary homes for pets, but as resource centers for people and pets who need support.

 Speaking with these leaders gave me hope and confidence in the power of people and pets to weather this crisis together. We’re not just adapting and managing, we’re discovering how much our communities are capable of. On #GivingTuesdayNow, if you’re able, I encourage you to donate to an organization like the Banfield Foundation, or to a local animal shelter – even a gift of pet food or toys helps, or a thank-you to those who are still making a difference. Finally, I’d like to thank all of you who have donated time, talent or resources to animal shelters in the past for the difference you’ve made in creating a BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.