A Look Into The Challenges, Successes Of Pet Adoption During The Coronavirus Pandemic

On this West Virginia Morning, who let the dogs out? Some shelters are short on pets. But what happens when we’re once again allowed to leave our homes? We also bring you reports on coronavirus-related news.

The West Virginia National Guard began conducting tests for COVID-19 this week at a poultry processing plant in Moorefield, Hardy County. According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the number of positive tests in the county have increased recently. Liz McCormick has more.

State health officials report COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting West Virginia’s African American community. A statewide task force met for the first time this week to address it. Emily Allen reports.

Maybe you’ve been spending more time at home and have been wondering, is this a good time to adopt a new pet? Well, it may actually be difficult to adopt at the moment. That’s because during the pandemic, many shelters have closed their doors, and stopped in-person adoptions.

Adoptions across the country have decreased, according to Pet Point, an online resource for animal shelters. More people are stepping up to foster animals- taking them home short-term during the pandemic.

The future for many animal rescue charities and nonprofits is precarious. They face funding shortages due to the economic slowdown of the COVID19 pandemic. So, what will happen to these rescue organizations, and all these animals, moving forward? Reporter Kyle Vass has this story.

For all the challenges the coronavirus has brought us, including loss of life and loneliness, the pandemic does have some benefits for new pet owners. Like more time bonding, training, and learning each other’s habits and personalities. Student producer at West Virginia University, Maxwell Shavers, has this story about what the pandemic has meant for some people wanting to adopt a dog.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

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