Western Pa. animal shelters limit services as coronavirus continues to spread

Animal shelters in the region have limited their services as the coronavirus continues to spread, with most reducing their adoption hours to appointment-only.

Animal Friends and Humane Animal Rescue have cut programming and fundraising events, leading some officials to worry about what the big picture might look like after virus concerns have dissipated.

“We’re very concerned about the fundraising end of things,” said Dan Rossi, chief executive of Humane Animal Rescue, which has locations on the North Side and in the East End. “We are an organization that is 98% funded. All of the ways we keep our doors open are through fundraising.”

Rossi said education programs, such as children reading to the animals, have been put on hold, as have vaccination clinics and check-ups for healthy pets. The latter is to help limit the number of people coming through the facility and open availability for truly sick pets.

Adoptions and intakes are still available on a limited basis, and scheduled surgeries will go on as planned. The pet food pantry also will remain open, as Rossi said the shelter plans to ramp up that part of the organization.

He said they anticipate a growing number of pet owners falling on hard times as closures continue and many are without paychecks. That also could mean fewer donations for the shelter, he said.

“They’re looking at the resources they have and seeing stocks down, retirement benefits down — we’re worried about people’s donations as well,” he said.

Animal Friends in Ohio Township and the Washington Area Humane Society also limited their adoptions to appointment-only this week.

“While the focus right now during the covid-19 outbreak is on community health and safety for our human friends, we also can’t forget how this is affecting our animal friends as well,” Animal Friends President Kathleen Beaver said in an email.

She said the Camp Horne Road campus will remain open for admissions, and they will continue to provide pet food to local food pantries. Staff and volunteers will continue caring for the more than 200 dogs, cats and others housed by the shelter.

Westmoreland County animal shelters also are temporarily adjusting how adoptions are handled.

Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley in New Kensington is closed to the public until further notice, according to a message on their main line. They are open for adoptions by appointment.

Action for Animals in Derry Township is also allowing adoptions by appointment only, said shelter manager LuAnn Hutcheson.

“Our staff is so valuable to us, we can’t let them get sick because the animals are in our care,” she said.

The same goes for the Humane Society of Westmoreland County in Hempfield and Animal Friends in Youngwood.

Clinic services at the Humane Society of Westmoreland County are being reduced to only essential services such as surgery for a life-threatening condition, said shelter director Kathy Burkley. They will not be doing shots for a house pet.

The Washington Area Humane Society in Washington County also limited adoptions in “an abundance of caution.” The shelter also canceled scheduled events through March 27, including vaccination clinics. The shelter will continue to take in stays, and humane officers will remain on duty.

Megan Guza and Renatta Signorini are staff writers for the Tribune-Review.