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Monday, March 23rd was our final day of adoptions due to the stay at home order that has gone into effect. We had hoped to "go out with a bang" (while practicing social distancing and cleaning, of course) -- and we did just that. Thank you to our wonderful community who shared our adoptable pets with friends and loved ones and to our adopters who opened their homes and hearts to our shelter pets in need.

We are overwhelmed with happiness as well as gratitude and are proud to announce that the 11 final adoptions done on Monday lead us to this moment. Our dog kennel is empty! That's right... EMPTY! (Click here to see it) Our pets are now in cozy, loving, safe forever homes where they can hunker down with their new families. We are just so grateful.

24 cats, 4 bunnies and 2 guinea pigs remain in our care. For the time being, our animal care staff is able to report to work in order to feed, medicate, provide enrichment and care for our current residents. Our veterinarian continues to monitor any pets on medical treatment during this time period. Should we need to close down the shelter completely, we have been proactive in getting emergency foster homes lined up to help and we'd have coverage for all 30 animals, in addition to the 26 pets already in foster care. Once again, we have YOU to thank for our ability to prepare for whatever this pandemic brings our way. Only through your loyal donations and commitment to our lifesaving mission are we able to continue our invaluable work in the community.

We need to take a minute to share some kudos... our adoption, animal care, and medical staff have been truly amazing over the last week. With the circumstances changing constantly, our staff did not hesitate to jump into action. We are a family. A small, but mighty team.

We will keep you all updated with any other changes in our day-to-day operations. Your continued support during this time is crucial. Please read below about our mission, what changes we foresee in the weeks to come, and how you can help our pets in need.

Thank you to this wonderful community. We are in this together. Please take care.

DONATE TO PROVIDE SECOND CHANCES

During this time of uncertainty, it's hard to know for sure how many people and pets will be impacted, or what resources we will require to help the influx of animals in need as a result of this pandemic. At this time, our biggest need is for monetary contributions.

Your donation will go toward the lifesaving care of animals whose families were impacted by the devastation of COVID-19. We've already had emergency situations where families could not afford to provide their pets care due to the impact COVID-19 has had on their life. We will continue to be there for those families and their animals thanks to your steadfast support. Please donate online today at the link below!

To our donors: At this time we have suspended all donation thank you letters as we cannot have staff or volunteers onsite to process, print and prepare the mailings. If you contribute online (the preferred method during this time), you will be issued an automatic email receipt. We are happy to email you a receipt if you've donated through the mail. Please respond with your full name, address, and your email address! This is a green method of correspondence which also saves resources during this critical time.

DONATE HERE

ANIMAL INTAKE POLICY

While our dog kennel is empty right now, we are unable to take dogs in unless they are emergency surrenders by Lake County residents, or if they come in as a result of a Humane Investigation. As the severity of this pandemic increases, we are preparing for the possibility of becoming short-staffed in the event that more people become ill and having limited resources as fewer donations are sent in by supporters. At this time, we need to limit the population in our shelter to ensure it is manageable for our essential employees. We must also take into account that our resources may become limited as we have already seen with the pandemic thus far. We are taking a conservative and responsible approach as we charter these new waters. We foresee that we will experience a peak in surrenders as a result of people in our community becoming personally impacted by COVID-19.

This is already a time that we experience increased intake due to kitten season, and this season is already taxing on our staff and volunteers without the added influx in possible surrenders. We want to be responsible in our use of resources and we are putting the safety and well-being of our animals, staff, volunteers, and community members above all else.

CARING FOR YOUR PET THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC

According to the Humane Society of the United States:

Identify a family member or friend who can care for pets if someone in the household becomes too ill to care for pets.
Have crates, food and extra supplies on hand for movement and relocation of pets if necessary.
Keep all animal vaccines up to date and have copies of those records available in the event that boarding becomes necessary.
Ensure that all medications are documented with dosages and administering directions. It’s a good idea to include the prescription from your veterinarian with the medications in your pet’s to-go bag.
Pets should have proper identification: a collar with ID tag and a microchip with current, up-to date contact information.

Learn more by visiting the link below.

ABOUT OUR FOSTER PROGRAM

At this exact time we have a wonderful group of existing, long-term foster homes and a list of those willing to foster pets in the event of an emergency. For now, we do not need new foster volunteers; however, if you are seriously interested in opening your home to a shelter pet and becoming a dependable, long-term foster, you can learn more on our website. If you have questions, please contact our Foster Coordinator, Hannah, at foster@lakehumane.org.

In this time of uncertainty, we have no way of knowing how many pets will need our help in the weeks and months to come, so we are doing all that we can in order to prepare.

LEARN MORE HERE