Acadiana Animal Aid is receiving national attention from the welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society for its work during COVID-19.
Best Friends published a column on the shelter's efforts to continue operation and adoptions.
At Acadiana Animal Aid, the goal is until they all have a home, but that mission was almost derailed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our region. AAA closed its doors to the public, minimized staff and shifted to appointment only adoptions.
"We knew that though our doors might be closed, the animals would not stop coming," said Jeanine Foucher, executive director of Acadiana Animal Aid. "We've been able to work it out and we've had more local adoptions in the last two months than ever before."
With so many other shelters halting operations or severely limiting their work because of the stay-at-home order, Animal Aid continued taking in pets who otherwise would be at risk of euthanasia. The shelter made a plea for foster parents and received nearly 200 new applications and placed 80 percent of pets in foster homes.
"Fostering is a game changer for animals and also for shelters," Foucher said. "The average length of stay for an animal now during COVID-19 is they turn around very quickly. They go into a foster home and then they're adopted very shortly after."
Since the coronavirus, AAA suspended transports out of state. Now, they're relying on the public more than ever.
"It has a big impact on us because generally, we move a minimum of 50 animals per month to no-kill shelter partners and then we also adopt out in Colorado a minimum of 10 animals. That's why it's been so important for the community to step up and adopt animals," Foucher said.
The shelter is continuing to provide foster parents with everything hey need to take care of their pets and hope the community will continue to support their mission.
"The silver lining in all of this is to see how the community has made a total difference for shelter animals in Acadiana," Foucher said.
Right now, South Louisiana Giving Day is underway.
Acadiana Animal Aid is one of the non-profits which will benefit from donations today. The online fundraiser will continue until midnight tonight. The goal is to raise funds for more than 100 Acadiana organizations.
Click here for a list of organizations you can donate to.
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