While Ohio’s stay-at-home order kept people from interacting like they once did, the number of dogs finding homes has increased since the COVID-19 outbreak.
Shirley King, who volunteers at A 2nd Chance Pet Adoptions near Hillsboro, said on Monday the rescue currently has seven dogs, though prospective families have inquired about three of those that remain.
“For all the time that I have been with [A 2nd Chance], I haven’t seen so many adoptions so quickly,” King said. “She has always had about 20 dogs at a time. I really wish the ones left could have good homes.”
As of May 16, Friends of the Highland County Dog Pound member Pat Lawrence told The Times-Gazette that there were only three dogs at the pound.
In early April, there were 13 dogs waiting to find families at the pound. On April 7, Lawrence said more rescues outside Highland County were requesting dogs from the pound, which Lawrence said indicated other rescues across the state were seeing an increased demand for adoptable dogs.
Representatives of the Highland County Humane Society were unavailable for comment Monday, but in an interview in early April, Highland County Humane Society Manager Ami Poynter said she’d noticed an increase in dog adoptions, though only a few cats had found homes.
The increase in dog adoptions began in mid-March, Poynter said. In the following three weeks, the Humane Society adopted out 15 dogs, and on April 7, only a single dog, who had just become available for adoption that day, resided in the Humane Society’s kennels.
“I think a lot of people want a dog they can take outside and walk. Everybody who has come in has said now is the perfect time to add a family pet,” Pointer said in April. “They thought now it would be a good time because they can work with the dog and get it trained now, so it’ll be better for them after everything’s back to normal.”
For more information about the adoptable dogs at A 2nd Chance Pet Adoptions, find them on petfinder.com and adoptapet.com. To stay up-to-date with the rescue, follow the “A 2nd Chance Pet Adoptions” Facebook page.
A 2nd Chance Pet Adoptions is located at 1765 Zion Lane, south of Belfast. Those who wish to make monetary donations to A 2nd Chance should mail a check or donate through PayPal. A 2nd Chance owner Mary Jane Espelage can be reached at [email protected] or 937-764-0406.
Find the Friends of the Highland County Dog Pound on Facebook. To view dogs available for adoption at the pound, visit the “Highland County Dog Pound” Facebook page. To make an appointment to meet one of the pound’s adoptable dogs, call the dog warden at 937-393-8191.
To view animals available for adoption at the Humane Society, visit the “Highland County Humane Society” Facebook page. Reach the Humane Society at 937-393-2110.
Lawrence said those who would like to make a monetary donation to the Friends of the Highland County Dog Pound should mail a check to P.O. Box 496 in Hillsboro.
Poynter said those interested in any donating items to the Humane Society are welcome to drop the items off outside the building during business hours.
Both the Friends of the Highland County Dog Pound and the Highland County Humane Society always accept donations. They can always use cleaning supplies like bleach.
Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.
