The shelter has 53 cats and 90 dogs available for adoption with 15 cats and 45 dogs currently housed at the shelter, she said. The others are in foster care, which Valenta said has allowed the shelter to reduce the number of rooms it is using.
In total the shelter continues to support 121 cats and 166 dogs.
While the center is running on a full staff, Valenta said the staff has been divided into two teams working on different days in case quarantine is necessary. She added that the staff is practicing physical distancing with each other and with volunteers and visitors, and is cleaning and sanitizing used rooms daily.
“The cleaning products we use to keep the animals safe also help to keep the staff and volunteers safe,” she said.
WCRAS has also changed its adoption procedures. Valenta said the shelter is adopting and fostering by appointment only, daily from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Those interested in adopting can email [email protected], and those interested in fostering can email [email protected] to be placed on a calendar for an appointment, Valenta said.
“Once at the shelter for their appointment, potential adopters or fosters for dogs are meeting staff outside and meeting dogs in the play yards,” Valenta said.
Potential adopters and fosters of cats are not meeting at the moment. Instead, staff counsels the potential adopter or foster on the cats' likes, dislikes and needs, and if the potential adopter or foster is interested, WCRAS provides curbside service by bringing the cat in a secure crate to the car, she said.
The shelter has also reduced its intake of animals, limiting it to emergencies only. Since March 14, WCRAS has taken in a little more than 100 animals. The same time last year, it took in almost 300, Valenta said.
“We are trying to adopt as many animals as we can safely during this time,” Valenta said. “As an animal shelter, we are always looking ahead to what we may have to face. We would like to prevent an intake of over 100 foster animals returning to the shelter once we are back to normal operating procedures.”
