Wilmington animal shelter encourages fostering pets during COVID-19 pandemic

FOX 29's Bill Anderson has the story.

WILMINGTON, Del. - A Wilmington animal shelter is making a big push to get animals into foster homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What happens when pets already in shelters are facing declining volunteers and fewer people out to potentially take them home.

“We are still open to the public. We have lots of animals to care for. For us, this is essential business we can’t close down," Executive Director Jane Pierantozzi told FOX 29.

What the Faithful Friends Shelter in Wilmington can do is try to make our current coronavirus reality into a positive for people lonely at home and animals lonely in cages.

“We are making a big push to try to get animals into foster homes or get them adopted so in anticipation that we could have some staff that have to be home and that more animals will come in and less will go out. We have room and we can care for them," Pierantozzi explained.

They are respecting the rules of no more than 10 visitors at a time and other social distancing measures while trying to get people to consider that being in your home with kids off from school may be better with a new friend.

“We have a foster care special running right now. So take one home and self quarantine with a dog or a cat or a couple," Pierantozzi said.

So many cats and dogs need homes and a time when you’re likely to be at home may be the perfect time to meet Millie, energetic and playful, Hef, the senior of the group, or Pablo who is equal parts 90-pound playmate and cuddler not to mention more than a hundred cats.

“Foster care is so rewarding because you know you got an animal out of the shelter, which is stressful for them, and it's also a chance to try that animal out and see if they’re a match," Pierantozzi said.

Faithful Friends relies largely on volunteers and donations so they hope that at a time where we are all being asked to take care of each other we expand that just a little to those who may not have anyone to take care of them.