Coronavirus Distancing Has People Considering Adopting A Dog
DEDHAM (CBS) -- A lot of people are stuck at home these days, and some of them are thinking, "Now might be a good time to get a pet." At one Dedham dog shelter, interest in adoptions is booming, but getting a dog is a big decision and you have to think long-term.
"Our application intake has been overwhelming," said Deni Goldman, the shelter director at Shultz's Guest House.
For 11 years the shelter has helped find homes for abandoned dogs. But right now, interest is way, way up.
"On a normal given Monday through Friday we receive maybe 75 to 100 applications. Since Monday, we've received well over 300 applications this week alone, and we definitely attribute that to people being at home," Goldman said.
But the shelter wants to be certain that families can still take care of a new pet when things get back to normal.
"We want to make sure that people who are looking to adopt dogs are looking past the present short term and knowing that they're going to be able to accommodate this dog's needs once they go back to their regular routine," Goldman said. "So we generally focus on families that have schedules that are not going to have a dog locked in a crate for an entire day while they're at work."
Now, the shelter's normal, thorough screening process is also looking long-term.
"The priority is still the dogs, still putting them in the right homes with the right family dynamic, the right environment, the right schedules," Goldman said.
If you're thinking about adopting a dog, you can see the available pets at Shultz's Guest House's website.
