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By Grace Braswell
Daily News

Despite the recent challenges, the LaGrange Animal Shelter and Humane Society has taken several precautions to keep its doors open during the COVID-19 healthcare crisis.

Chris Bussey, LaGrange Animal Services supervisor, discussed the importance of adoption during this time.

“We have had 120 animals taken in for the month of March,” Bussey said. “As of right now, there are 65 animals in the shelter looking for a home.”

While many residents of LaGrange and Troup County are practicing the recommended social distancing from the Center for Disease Control, the LaGrange Animal Shelter has made arrangements for online adoptions. This includes adopting over Facebook and a drive-thru adoption service.

“We are working on social media adoption where people can look at the animals we have at the shelter online,” Bussey said. “What people can do is call up and tell us which animal they’re looking at, schedule an appointment to visit the animal, and then adopt that way.”

When it comes to safety precautions regarding the shelter, the staff at the LaGrange Animal Shelter have made sure to sanitize and clean to prevent the spread of any disease.

“We are now only allowing five people in the shelter at a time,” Bussey said. “This includes those looking to adopt and volunteers. If you are looking to adopt, we recommend scheduling an appointment to avoid a wait.”

Through the Humane Society, volunteers are welcome to come and work as long as safety precautions are taken and in groups of two or three people.

Bussey said the number of animals being sent through the Puppy Pipeline has decreased since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Puppy Pipeline is an organization that takes animals from the south where there is an abundance of strays to the north where there is a need for animals.

“Before COVID-19, we had sent 77 animals through Puppy Pipeline,” Bussey said. “These numbers have decreased since COVID-19, but we are still sending animals in an effort to make sure these animals get adopted.”

In the shelter right now, there are 65 animals. There have been 107 rescue animals, 24 redemptions, and seven animals adopted. The shelter is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays. Appointments to adopt or volunteer can be set up at any time during office hours.