Adoptions down at Western Pennsylvania animal shelters

Adoptions are down at animal shelters across Western Pennsylvania, in part because fewer animals are available for adoption during the coronavirus pandemic.

That could change with the arrival of “kitten season,” the feline breeding season that starts in the spring and typically floods shelters with homeless or unwanted cats.

Cody Hoellerman, a spokesman for Animal Friends in Ohio Township, said the number of available kittens could be especially high this year as many shelters have suspended spay-and-neuter programs because of covid-19 restrictions.

The pandemic also has led shelters to reduce other operations, suspend receiving animals from other shelters and limit the number of people in their facilities to protect their workers and the public. People looking to adopt have been limited to searching for pets online and scheduling in-person appointments at shelters.

Melissa Smith, director of marketing for Humane Animal Rescue in Pittsburgh’s North Side, said its adoptions were down 35% in a six-week time period that ended in mid-April compared to the same period a year ago. She said people adopted 320 animals during that period this year, down from 491 last year.

“In addition to the sheer fact that fewer people are coming to the shelter to adopt, another factor affecting our adoption rates is the significant decrease in the number of animals available for adoption,” Smith said.

The stock of immediately available animals is down for several reasons, according to shelter officials.

Humane Animal Rescue and Animal Friends typically offer pets from other shelters that are transferred from organizations such as the ASPCA and other facilities, but covid-19 physical distancing requirements have put those transfers on hold.

Additionally, fewer people are surrendering their pets to local shelters as a result of health, financial or other hardships, the officials said.

“We are increasing our efforts to assist pet owners who have become financially insecure due to covid-19 to help them keep their pets through our Pet Helpline and Ellie’s Pet Food Pantry,” Humane Animal Rescue’s Smith said.

Animal Friends also has a free online pet vet and pet food bank and it recently offered a drive-thru, free pet food event.

While Animal Friends’ Hoellerman said adoptions have been down slightly, he said there has been an increase in the number of people submitting applications to adopt and a huge influx of foster applications from people who were laid off or are working from home.

But, as is the case with Humane Animal Rescue, there are fewer animals available for adoption because of the decrease in transfers and surrenders.

“People are spending more time at home and have more time to work with their animals,” he said.

Animal Friends intends to continue trying to fill its kennels, Hoellerman said.

“Seeing an empty kennel is a missed opportunity to save an animal life,” Hoellerman said.

At Animal Friends Westmoreland, which is based in Youngwood and has a shelter in Unity, adoptions are down but more families are fostering shelter animals, according to animal care manager Bethany Morse.

“We’ve got a lot more interest in fostering right now, because everybody’s home,” she said.

She thinks this could lead to adoptions in the long term if families decide to turn temporary fosters into permanent pets.

“Hopefully they fall in love over that time and end up adopting,” Morse said.

While a drop in adoptions causes some problems, Morse said it’s not the most pressing issue facing shelters right now.

“The bigger problem is donations coming in. Because a lot of people are off work right now, they’re having hardships and they’re not donating to charities,” she said.

Animal Friends Westmoreland has had to cancel several events aimed at raising money for the organization.

Shelters are continuing their important mission to rescue abused animals.

Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley in New Kensington recently retrieved a 1-year-old boxer/mastiff mix from a home where police responded to a domestic violence call and found the dog with a smashed shoulder, likely from being kicked repeatedly, according to Phyllis Framel, acting president of the shelter’s board.

The dog likely will lose a leg but is expected to otherwise make a full recovery and eventually be placed up for adoption.

Animal numbers are low at Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, with six adoptable animals at the shelter and 45 more in foster care.

“My guess is that people are just not out and about to find them, as we primarily deal with stray, injured, abused and abandoned animals,” Framel said.

The upside of a smaller group of animals for humans to choose from is that a longtime shelter resident got a second look. A dog named Cinnamon, who has been at the shelter for 1.5 years, was recently adopted, Framel said.