April 29 2020
How this CNN Hero is making senior dog adoptions happen during social distancing
If you’re looking for a silver lining during this pandemic, one place to turn is animal shelters. …
Elsewhere in California, Sherri Franklin said she has also seen an uptick in adoptions through her San Francisco-based nonprofit, Muttville.
Franklin, who was named a CNN Hero in 2016, and her team rescue senior dogs from shelters and find them forever homes.
Under California’s shelter-in-place order, implemented six weeks ago, animal shelters are deemed as essential. However, Franklin made the decision to close hers for the safety of her employees and volunteers.
She and her team moved all 86 dogs out of their shelter and into foster homes – which is no small feat.
“What was really amazing was the community that poured in to help,” Franklin said. “We got over 200 foster applications in a week. We used to get 20 in a week.”
Franklin and her team worked fast to come up with new protocol to safely adopt out dogs and follow social distancing guidelines. The organization began doing virtual adoption meetings, where the foster parent introduces the dog to the potential adopters via Zoom or FaceTime.
“People really are on the edge of their seat,” Franklin said of the virtual meetings. “It’s almost like they want to reach out and touch that dog.”
Since adapting its process after the shelter-in-place order, the organization has adopted out 135 dogs.
“I hate to use this term, but the dogs are flying off the shelves,” Franklin said. “It is a time when people are looking for comfort, continuity and something they can focus on other than the crazy news.” . . .
