CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The coronavirus pandemic has made strong impacts on area schools, businesses to even local animal shelters.
Staff with the Gulf Coast Humane Society say as the crisis continues, the animal shelter has seen fewer contributions.
Besides a decrease in donations, another factor is not having volunteers on standby and that affects the animals.
“It also has affected our animals quite a bit every day we would have 30 - 50 volunteers coming through playing with the animals taking them on walks because we don’t have volunteers coming in right now what we do have is just our staff trying to take care of all of those animals so they’re not getting the quite the individualized attention that they would’ve gotten if we were fully staffed with volunteers,” says GCHS Executive Director Sharon Ray.
As the ongoing health crisis continues, many pet owners have lost their jobs so providing food and more can be tough.
Animal organizations say make sure you seek help before you decide to turn your four-legged friend away.
“So our goal is that people know that we are available for resources if there’s something that you need because getting to your wit's end and dropping your animal off or at a parking lot on our doorstep or animal controls doorstep is actually illegal,” says Ray.
COVID-19 has also brought many changes to Corpus Christi Animal Care Services.
“We’ve limited access to the campus we are asking that the public don’t come here right now and that’s for the well being of the staff and the well-being of the animals,” says Program Operations Manager with Corpus Christi Animal Care Services Joel Skidmore.
Officers with Animal Care Services are asking animal owners not to drop off your pets at their facility as this pandemic continues.
“We would rather have the animal stay in the home, that it’s used to already, used to the people it lives with than have it come here,” says Skidmore.
