‘THE MOST REWARDING’: CANADIANS IN ISOLATION FOSTERING DOGS, BUT DONATIONS DOWN

TORONTO — While some Canadians have staved off loneliness in lockdown by connecting to loved ones with video calls and sidewalk visits, others have found companionship by fostering or adopting new four-legged friends.

That’s what Christine Martel-Fleming did when she recently fostered a new dog named Leela.

“I have to get up a lot earlier and there is no more sleeping in, but it makes you go outside and forces you to get some sunshine and that has such a big impact on your mental health,” Martel-Fleming told CTV News.

And she’s not the only one who’s taken on the responsibility of fostering a dog during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As people isolate at home, there has been an increase in volunteers to foster and adopt pets across the country.

“It’s a good opportunity to be part of a process of finding a dog that’s maybe been through a lot, like Bonnie, and finding them a place where they can be safe and well-loved,” Jaya Bordeleau-Cass, who recently began fostering Bonnie, shared.

For example, Winnipeg Animal Services typically cares for up to 40 pets a day, but now they’re down to only 11.

“We thought at the beginning of this, people would want to hunker down at home, they wouldn’t want to bring a new dog into their home, and that’s exactly the opposite of what we saw,” Gordon Leland, the chief operating officer of the City of Winnipeg’s Animal Services Agency, said.

And while some rescue shelters have paused pet adoptions out of concern for physical distancing guidelines, other organizations have adapted to the new safety measures by introducing virtual and outdoor meetings.

Rocky Road Rescue in Ottawa is one such rescue organization that has recently re-homed about 60 sled dogs.

“It’s been a bit of an adjustment for us for sure, but we found it is still possible just with caution,” Alycia Sevigny, from Rocky Road Rescue, said.

Although dog adoptions have been on the rise in recent months, Sevigny said donations have dropped.

“Whether it’s sick puppies, adult dogs, surgeries, anything like that,” she explained. “The financial strain has definitely been quite a struggle since COVID started.”

As provinces begin to reopen and people return to work, rescue organizations have expressed concern that fostered dogs will be surrendered back to them, but they’re hopeful they have selected the right owners and fosters for them the first time around.

“I would absolutely do it again,” Martel-Fleming shared. “It’s honestly been the most rewarding experience.”