A heavily populated shelter induces stress in dogs, leading to higher cortisone levels and a possible change in the animals’ behavior, he said. Fostering programs are a way to avoid this while helping dogs assimilate to a home environment.
“Imagine if you were in a cinderblock building with 100 other screaming humans,” Zimmerman said.
Those interested in fostering must submit an online application and once approved, will receive training.
At Humane Society, adoption rates are normal compared to previous years, except for March and April when the shelter was closed.
“The rates were not as high as last year since there was a pace issue,” CEO of Humane Society Brian Weltge said. “The flow of dogs coming in and coming out was in disparity.”
The Humane Society depends on nearby events for increasing animal outtake, such as PetSmart adoption events.
“Adoptions at PetSmart have been shut down, which slows down the process,” Weltge said.
Similarly, at the Animal Resource Center, a decrease in adoption rates took place during the early days of the pandemic. Now, some level of normalcy has been achieved.
Both shelters have had to cut staff due to the decrease in work hours to correspond with new safety guidelines. Volunteering has been halted until further notice but applications are being accepted through each of the shelters’ websites and virtual training is available.
The goal of both shelters is to reduce the number of people inside the building.
Animals available for adoption are pictured on each of the shelters’ websites. A person must make an appointment to come into the shelter. No walk-in appointments are allowed.
“Regarding animal intake, the whole process is done curbside,” Weltge said.
For more information:
Montgomery County Animal Resource Center: 937-898-4457
Humane Society of Greater Dayton: 937-268-7387
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