Lisa Vanderpump, who runs her own rescue center called The Vanderpump Dog Foundation, recently voiced concern for dogs during the coronavirus pandemic. While many people are finding themselves home and opting to foster, many are also getting rid of their dogs and contributing to crowded shelters.
Lisa shared the realization with TMZ Live on Monday. And while it may seem like a terrible deed to offer up a dog during a time like this (or anytime), most people do it out of practicality and not to be cruel. According to TMZ, “Lisa tells us that a lot of folks are simply losing their jobs right now, and they might foresee an unfixable situation when it comes to caring for their canines. As such, they’re getting ahead of it and leaving ’em at the pound — and that can be very sad news for those that don’t get adopted.”
As expected, there are also many who are adopting (quite suddenly since they’re home for this period) and quickly regret the decision. Fostering is a great way to temporarily alleviate the stress put on rescues and animal shelters during this pandemic – though, fostering anytime is also helpful. Fostering allows you to take a dog in with no long-term commitments. When it’s time to go back to work, you can arrange to return the dog to the shelter (or hope it’s been adopted by then!).
Right now, many shelters are missing their volunteer staff due to social distancing guidelines and many shelters are also receiving an influx of dogs. It’s a lot of strain for these amazing entities and fostering a dog can really help out. Who knows, you may end up with a #fosterfail and find your forever best friend in the process!
