COVID-19 Update: July 2020

It’s been four months since the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City. PAWS NY has been working tirelessly to provide for our clients and pets, continue operations, and fundraise for the organization. While our Housecall Program is suspended for the time being, there is still plenty to do. Scroll down to read a COVID-19 update about all of the initiatives PAWS has been working on during this time.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support PAWS NY during this unusual time!

PAWS NY’s Clients & Pets

PAWS NY has stayed in close contact with all 100 clients during this time, making sure they are still able to care for their pets and have all the food and supplies they need. We are providing 100% of all pet food and supply needs for our clients’ pets for the entirety of this situation. We do not want clients leaving their homes and increasing the risk of exposure to secure supplies for their pets.

Lastly, PAWS NY volunteers have continued to stay in touch with their clients via phone, text messages, or mailed letters. One supporter wrote and mailed letters to all of the PAWS clients, while other volunteers have sent small gifts. One package was a special NYC pizza delivery! Follow us on social media for more updates like these: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

For clients who have been unable to care for their pets without PAWS NY’s ongoing in-home support or have had non-COVID-related health issues, we have also managed foster care situations for 11 pets during this time for a total of 443 days of foster care.

Additionally, the PAWS NY program team has coordinated emergency vet care for clients as needed during the pandemic. As the city starts to re-open, we are now coordinating wellness and vaccine appointments as well.

Our team communicates with volunteers each week to hear heartwarming stories of how they’ve been connecting with clients during this time.

Citywide COVID-19 Response

Responding to the needs of the city’s pets during the COVID-19 crisis has been a citywide collaboration. PAWS has played a role in the New York City Animal Planning Task Force during this time. This group set up the NYC COVID-19 Pet Hotline to provide pet-related services to New Yorkers affected by COVID-19. This initiative has been covered my several major media outlets, including The New York Times, ABC-7, Time Out NY, and Telemundo, among others.

Please note: As of September 22, 2020, the NYC COVID-19 Pet Hotline has had significant reach, impacting over 17,000 animals since it began on April 20, 2020. As time has progressed, the volume of need, specifically, COVID-related need, has declined. As a result, the NYC COVID-19 Pet Hotline will sunset as planned on September 30, 2020.

We’ve also helped distribute information about emergency preparedness, pets and COVID-19, and other citywide initiatives as needed.

Virtual Volunteer Orientations

PAWS NY is hopeful we will soon be able to get back out to visiting our clients in their homes and helping care for their pets. To that end, we introduced Virtual Volunteer Orientations to train more volunteers who can help our clients and pets soon! As of July 1, PAWS has hosted four Virtual Volunteer Orientations and trained 49 volunteers.

Ongoing Operations, Fundraising, and Events

PAWS NY continues to regularly communicate with our supporters and stakeholders through email communication and social media outreach. The team has also coordinated several online fundraising campaigns and events, including a major Online Spring Campaign in lieu of our annual in-person Spring Benefit; virtual fundraisers such as a Dance Class and Trivia Night; and give back partnerships with brands like gorjana and Chewy.

Do you have additional questions about our COVID-19 Update? Email us!