MANSFIELD ─ The COVID-19 pandemic obviously affected people, but it trickled down to the well-being of their pets, too.
The Humane Society of Richland County and Richland County Dog Shelter both saw more owners surrender their pets in 2020 than in previous years.
Linda Chambers, managing director for the Humane Society, said with the pandemic causing uncertainty about people’s jobs or income, more owners have said they could not afford to take care of their animals. The organization took in 36 animals surrendered by their owners last year.
“They’d say, ‘My cat is sick and I can’t afford to take it to the vet. Can I just surrender it to you?’ We saw that happen so many times last year. And that’s really sad, because it’s not that they wanted to give up their cat, but they knew that they couldn’t afford to keep it healthy,” Chambers said.
Inquiries for the Humane Society’s pet food pantry also increased amid the pandemic. Chambers said the organization typically asks people to submit an application with documents showing they have the need. But with the growing requests, they started to hold a “pop-up” pet food pantry in April for those financially strapped to drive by and take the food.
The pop-up pantry was held once a month, Chambers said, and will continue this year. All the pet food was donated by local stores or owners who have animals changing their diet or passing away.
Chambers said the pantry has successfully helped those who can’t afford to provide food for their animals. Everyone has been respectful by taking only one or two bags of food, which enabled the Humane Society to service more people.
Conversely, adoptions at the dog shelter and Humane Society decreased in 2020. Richland County assistant dog warden Missy Houghton said 350 dogs were adopted out at the dog shelter last year. The number was down about 100 from the previous year.
Houghton said the shelter did not have as many dogs as it used to, which affected the adoption. The shelter, which handles stray dogs, took in about 400 to 500 dogs in 2020, whereas it usually takes in more than 800 dogs per year before the pandemic. Houghton said the number went down probably because people stayed at home more with their dogs, so they kept an eye on them.
Adoption numbers of 2020 at Humane Society were also smaller than in previous years, Chambers said. The nonprofit processed 499 adoptions last year, most were for cats. The number was usually close to 600.
Chambers said the adoptions decreased because more sick animals need to be taken care of before going to a new home. The Humane Society took in 36 injured and sick cats and 132 orphaned kittens last year. The kittens had to be fostered and kept at the facility until they were old enough for adoption.
More than 100 dogs were adopted at the Humane Society in 2020. Chambers said the interest in dogs increased in the summer months. She guessed it was because people looked forward to having the companionship and having a dog to walk, especially being stuck at home.
