LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Dogs and cats can't carry coronavirus, but their caretakers can. That is making the outbreak a real concern for the people who run Griffin Pond Animal Shelter in South Abington Township.
"Of course, it's very important that our staff stays healthy and our volunteers as well because we do still have animals to take care of," said Ashley Wolo, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter's executive director.
For the time being, Griffin Pond has closed its doors to the public in an attempt to limit exposure.
But, the staff worries that effort may also limit adoptions during the coronavirus outbreak. So, they've come up with an alternative plan: online pet adoptions.
Griffin Pond Animal Shelter is offering half-price adoptions through the end of this week. The volunteers are comparing online pet adoptions to online dating.
"If you're interested in adopting an animal, you can visit our Facebook or go on our website and view the animals there. And you can still submit an application which can also be found on our website," Wolo said.
The staff can set up an appointment to meet a pet up for adoption as long as human contact is limited.
Griffin Pond officials say the virus outbreak has also made it tougher to keep things such as cleaning products and pet food stocked up.
"I'm sure if everybody's been to the stores, they know the shelves are wiped out. So, we've been lucky, we're keeping stocked up, and we're pretty prepared for the situation," Wolo added.
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