ARL Continues Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

While the nation continues to make progress against the pandemic, the impacts will unfortunately continue to reverberate throughout the Commonwealth and with the people and pets ARL serves. ARL’s mission is to keep pets and people together – a mission that is more important than ever. We remain focused on meeting people and animals where they are, bringing veterinary services directly to those who need it most, so that animals are safe and healthy living in communities and out of shelters. To best serve serve people and animals and animals we launched two new programs within the last year.

Keep Pets S.A.F.E.

ARL’s Community Services realigned efforts and expanded pet support services to ARL’s communities of focus creating, Keep Pets S.A.F.E. (Serving Animals Facing Emergencies). This program outreach established a helpline to assist residents with animal-related information and access to ARL’s resources. The Keep Pets S.A.F.E. program utilized Field Services and ARL's fleet of vehicles to: transport animals to critical veterinary care visits on the Wellness Waggin' (located on the Dedham Campus); deliver pet food and supplies to families in need; and provide pick-up services for animals in need of temporary housing or urgent surrender due to the pandemic. In 2020, nearly 1,000 activities were completed with 620 animals receiving pet food and supplies, and 320 animals being transported for critical veterinary care. A number of animals were taken in for temporary shelter, and ARL also received pets requiring emergency surrender. Throughout 2020, ARL hosted several drivethru donation drives to support the Keep Pets S.A.F.E. food pantry. Thanks to dozens of caring individuals, ARL was able to secure nearly 2,000 pounds of food and pet supplies including over 750 pounds of kitty litter! The Keep Pets S.A.F.E. program will continue into 2021, and as of this publication, ARL has already delivered more than 22,000 meals for pets to over 120 pet owners. The program will continue as long as it is needed and will serve as a model for future public emergencies should the need arise.

Temporary Pet Housing Initiative

The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges, including negative impacts on the economy, employment, and housing. As many residents continued to struggle financially and with Massachusetts eviction moratorium expiring in October 2020, ARL prepared for the very real possibility of countless families with pets losing their homes. In response, ARL unveiled its Temporary Pet Housing Initiative. The initiative offers temporary pet housing for those who may be experiencing housing instability or may be at imminent risk of homelessness. This is an imperative service for individuals facing eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative is open to any eligible pet owner in Massachusetts, and once eligibility is determined, the animals are able to stay within ARL’s foster care network for up to 120 days. Since its inception, ARL has accepted nearly 200 additional foster families! “People are sometimes forced to give up pets," said Aimee Christian, ARL’s Vice President of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Medicine. "It's something that’s always been on our radar, and has become increasingly apparent to us since housing stability could get a lot worse due to the pandemic.” Planning for this initiative was extensive, and while ARL has only taken in a handful of animals thus far, the need may grow over time and ARL is ready. ARL will continue to assist people and pets in need for the duration of the pandemic, and this important work cannot be successful without your continued and loyal support.

To learn more about ARL's Keep Pets S.A.F.E. program, visit arlboston.org/safe/