NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) - The new director of a Mississippi animal shelter says people have been dropping off dogs during the coronavirus pandemic, in some cases because they can’t afford to feed the pets.
Hanna Willis is a former law enforcement officer who was hired in March at the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society after the former director moved away, the Natchez Democrat reported.
The shelter was briefly closed to the public this month because of the coronavirus pandemic and only offered adoptions by appointment, Willis said.
“We shut down for a bit to try and get a grasp on what is happening and people started dumping dogs left and right,” she said. “Either they might have thought their dogs could carry COVID-19, which they don’t, or they just couldn’t afford to feed them anymore. … During the pandemic, we’ve probably taken in 10 adult dogs, 16 puppies and a litter of kittens.”
With new puppies and kittens being born and dropped off, the shelter has been at its maximum capacity with about 85 animals, Willis said.
The shelter reopened for curbside adoptions on Tuesday and at least three dogs found new homes, she said.
People considering adopting a dog or cat pull up to the shelter in their vehicles, see a few animals and even interact with them.
“It has actually worked out better and has been helpful for some of our big dogs because they get more attention when people see them outside,” Willis said.
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