Rescue shelters have not seen pets returned after a surge in adoptions during lockdown

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NewsRescue shelters have not seen pets returned after a surge in adoptions during lockdownBy Jackson WorthingtonAugust 12 2020 - 10:30amBy Jackson WorthingtonAugust 12 2020 -

10:30amFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopyADOPTIONS: Launceston Dogs Home supervisor Lucille Reid with, Moose the staffy X, one of the dogs available for adoption. Picutre: Phillip Biggs

Tasmanians who adopted pets during the height of the COVID-19 lock-down have been keeping them as restrictions have eased, says dog shelters.

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All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperCrosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll other regional websites in your areaContinue Animal rescues experienced a surge in

demand for adoptions and fosters as people during the lock-down with people looking to add a pet to their home.

Dogs Home of Tasmania Launceston supervisor Lucille Reid said demand had remained quite constant even as restrictions began to be lifted.

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Hill She said they had started using a new adoption system which had helped them find the dogs in their care homes easier.

"It was by an appointment only with expressions of interest ... what this did is it actually kept all the dogs nice and calm," Ms Reid said.

"We found that with the new appointment system the dogs were nice and calm when people would come in and meet them."

Ms Reid said they will be continuing with the new system post COVID because it seems to work better for the dogs.

She said sometimes people get a dog and don't realise how much it will change their life but that they haven't had anyone return dogs which were adopted during the lock-down.

North-East Animal Sanctuary co-manager Megan Barker said they had a similar experience.

She said they currently had no dogs available for adoption because demand was so high.

"We've been lucky [we haven't had any dogs returned]," Ms Barker said.

Ms Barker said they worked with everyone who wanted to adopt a pet to minimise the possibility of them being returned.

She said they had also experienced an increased demand for cats during the lock-down period.

"We've found that the demand for dogs and puppies over the COVID [lock-down] has been quite high and the demand for kittens was reasonably good as well," Ms Barker said.

"We re-homed more kittens in the first six months of 2020 than we did in the entire calendar year of 2019."

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ShareFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopyJackson WorthingtonJournalist General news reporter with a special interest in social justice, the economy and family violence.

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General news reporter with a special interest in social justice, the economy and family violence. [email protected]

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