The Animal Foundation is reaching out directly to our community to help clarify the “why” behind the actions we have taken during this unprecedented and difficult time for our community and our nation. The most important message we want to send at this time is that The Animal Foundation and our dedicated employees have been, and remain, here and available for the animals who need us. We have rotating teams of employees working every day, and we have also implemented a “reserve” system to ensure that we are able to keep operations running should one or more of our employees become ill,and/or be required to quarantine. We remain, as always, committed to serving our community and to providing our four-legged guests with the highest level of care while they stay with us. We have indeed made some changes to our operating practices during this interim, unpredictable, and rapidly changing environment. We have done so in close communication and coordination with our local government partners, and consistent with the guidelines issued by The National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA), designed to address the very issue of how animal control and shelter services should respond during this pandemic. Specifically, the NACA guidelines recommend taking active measures to reduce non-essential shelter intake. Measures taken should include returning pets in the field instead of impounding them, suspending non-emergency owner surrender intake, and encouraging owners who are ill to keep their pets at home whenever possible. These guidelines are also being recommended and supported by our shelter medicine program partners at UC Davis, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Florida; as well as our national animal welfare partners including The Petco Foundation, PetSmart Charities, Best Friends, and Maddie’s Fund, who have each publicly provided the NACA guidelines as a resource.All temporary changes in operating hours or protocol can be found on our website animal foundation.com The situation we have been asked most about involves stray animals found by members of the public. At this time, we are asking that individuals who encounter these animals utilize all of the resources available to them to help the animal return home, prior to reaching out to animal controlor The Animal Foundation, who may or may not be able to assist at this time, depending on each individual circumstance. With the community’s help, Animal Control sta? can respond to emergencies involving sick,injured, or dangerous animals, and the shelter can address animals with the most critical and urgent needs; all while doing what is possible to protect the health of our employees and the public. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation very closely, and as new information becomes available,we, like the rest of our community, nation, and world, will remain nimble and adapt accordingly. We are allin this together. The Animal Foundation will continue to do all that is possible to protect the health of ouremployees, the public, and most certainly our four-legged guests. A tricky balancing act during this time,but we remain committed to making it work.Of great priority to TAF, is to extend our profound thanks and gratitude to our community who have, as they always do, stepped up in a multitude of ways to be part of the solution.
