SAN ANTONIO – Local shelters are asking people to not forget about animals as they self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
San Antonio Pets Alive! needs donations and additional foster parents to care for hundreds of homeless animals, public relations and promotions manager Olivia Schneider told KSAT.
“We are preparing in case our adoption centers get closed and our staff becomes ill,” she said.
Because of that, adoption fees have decreased to $10 per animal, she said. Normal adoption prices are $150 for puppies, $60 for dogs, $75 for kittens, $35 for cats and $25 for dogs on the euthanasia list, according to their website.
Animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and given heartworm and flea prevention once they are adopted out.
8 ways to help your fellow San Antonians during coronavirus pandemic
The shelter is asking for paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent, trash bags, gloves, hand sanitizer and masks.
Since the majority of those items are already in high demand due to the COVID-19 emergency, purchases can be made online via Amazon Wishlist at www.sanantoniopetsalive.org/wishlist or by emailing donate@sanantoniopetsalive.org.
While SAPA! remains open, the San Antonio Humane Society has decided to close its doors.
On Monday, Humane Society President and CEO Nancy May said the shelter will close “out of an abundance of caution."
Here’s what we know about the 4 confirmed COVID-19 cases in San Antonio
Staff will remain on-site to care for animals, but volunteers are being asked to return when the shelter reopens.
The shelter said donations can be made at www.sahumane.org/donate.
Animal Care Services spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said the city-owned shelter will remain open until further notice.
She added that the shelter sees an increase in litters around this time of year, so adoptions are still crucial.
Video: Can house pets get coronavirus?
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
KSAT CORONAVIRUS CONTINUING COVERAGE: