Animal adoptions, fostering see increase during pandemic

Underwood’s foster dog, Pride, lounges in her temporary home.

By Hannah Holtz

While stay-at-home orders have been mandated due to the spread of COVID-19, many people have turned to adopting or fostering animals during their time at home. Lubbock Animal Shelter has seen a record number of adoptions in the last month, with fewer than 100 animals left in the shelter by the second week of April, according to the organization’s Facebook page.

Kaylee Underwood, a sophomore acting major from San Antonio, Texas, said she decided to foster a dog in March, right as everything was beginning to shut down. 

“She just came up and looked at us, and we knew we had to foster her,” Underwood said. 

Because animals at the shelter are not getting as much interaction due to the pandemic, Nikki Nowlin-Sims, a foster for Lubbock Animal Shelter, said now is an excellent time to foster an animal. She said the shelter has restricted visitors from entering the building, and all services are limited to a curbside basis. 

While many animals are being adopted as a result of COVID-19, Nowlin-Sims said pets are also being abandoned due to reports that animals could spread the virus. 

“There are people that are still dumping animals daily, even still with COVID,” Nowlin-Sims said. “With the limited resources and the limited amount of fosters they have, they just want to get the animals out of the shelter, at least for the time being, to get shown love.”

Nowlin-Sims’ dogs, Morgan and Samantha, are being fostered from the Lubbock Animal Shelter.

 Meagan Pierce, a junior theater major from Houston, Texas, said she wanted to foster a dog during COVID-19 because she has more time to spare that she normally does. 

“I’m home all the time now, so it really is the best time to give a dog a home,” Pierce said. “Even if it’s just for a little bit.” 

Underwood said it is great that animals are getting fostered or adopted, but she stressed the importance of understanding the commitment of getting a pet during this time.  

“There are a lot of shelters across the nation that don’t have any animals right now because everyone is adopting them, which is amazing.” Underwood said. “But I feel like it might be how Christmas is, and two months from now, there’s an influx of dogs being put back in the shelter.” 

Nowlin-Sims said fostering is a great way to help the shelters for those who are unsure if they are ready for the commitment of adoption. 

“If you’re on the fence about getting an animal, definitely foster or foster-to-adopt, just to help get any of the animals out of the shelter for a while,” she said. “Let them feel just a little bit of normalcy and love.”

Pierce meeting a potential foster dog at Saving Grace Pit Bull Rescue.

Another way to support shelters is donating food, blankets and towels, Nowlin-Sims said. The shelters are currently low on supplies due to the pandemic, and anything that can be spared is beneficial. 

“I’m a firm believer animals need love just as much as humans,” she said. “And if I’m able to show them a little bit of love, even for a short amount of time, then I’m thankful I’m able to do that.”