posted on Monday, March 23, 2020
A Statement from the CCHS Executive Director. March 23, 2020, 3:35 pm.
CCHS will resume animal adoptions by appointment, beginning Wednesday 3/25. If you are interested in adopting a pet, please first view our available pets online and then call 217-344-7297 to make an appointment.
We are implementing the following procedures to reduce risk to staff and visitors:
-No more than 2 people will be admitted for your appointment to meet an animal.
-Appointment times will be staggered to prevent groups of people congregating in the lobby.
-Because we need to control the number of people in the lobby and accommodate multiple appointments each day, you will not have unlimited time to visit with multiple animals. Please view our available pets online prior to your visit and select the animal you would like to meet. Appointments are intended to be approximately one hour in length; appointments will not be allowed to extend beyond 90 minutes.
-You will be provided with a pair of latex gloves upon arrival. Please wear them throughout your visit or as directed by staff members.
-Visiting rooms and frequently-touched surfaces will be disinfected between customers.
-At all times, please maintain 6-feet of space between yourself and staff members or other shelter visitors.
-If you are not feeling well or have cold symptoms, a cough, or a fever, please cancel your appointment.
If any staff member observes a visitor with symptoms, the visitor will be asked to leave.
We understand that these procedures will make the pet adoption process more cumbersome. We ask for your patience and understanding as we work through this new process with you.
We are very pleased to have learned that animal adoptions may proceed during the Shelter-in-Place Order. I thank you all for following our updates and for caring so much about the animals.
Take care!
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A Statement from the CCHS Executive Director. March 22, 2020, 6:50 am.
In yesterday's statement (see below) I indicated that closing for adoptions was a possibility. Effective immediately, we will discontinue open hours for meeting and adopting animals at the shelter. CCHS staff will continue to provide excellent care to all our shelter residents.
We hope you will continue to follow us on social media and view our pets through the website. As soon as it is possible for us to resume adoptions in a manner that complies with the Governor's Order and protects the public from undue risk of exposure to COVID-19, we will do so.
No further updates to yesterday's statement at this time.
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A Statement from the CCHS Executive Director. March 21, 2020, 9:11 am.
We appreciate the concern for shelter animals that is being expressed by members of the C/U community on social media and through contact with CCHS by email and phone. Given the high-volume of inquiries coming in, and our need to focus all our energy on animal care and crisis-management at this time, we are asking the public to watch this space for news and updates.
It is possible that CCHS will be closing for adoptions once the Governor’s “Shelter in Place” Order goes into effect at 5:00 Saturday 3/21/20. CCHS and its colleagues in animal-shelter leadership across the State, are working together on interpreting the Executive Order, seeking guidance on whether the order prohibits animal adoptions, and making decisions that take the best interests of the public into account.
Caring for our animals and the animals that will need us in the days ahead is our primary concern and will drive our decision making, as it always does. We have the capacity to care for our existing animal population through April 7, the date the Shelter-in-Place order expires. We also have sufficient capacity to receive more animals-in-need during this period, assuming that such intakes proceed at the usual intake rate.
If at any point moving animals into foster care becomes the best course of action for the welfare of our shelter animals, we will turn first to our existing roster of foster-care volunteers. If additional foster homes are needed, we will reach out more broadly.
We have a lot to consider as we move forward and respond to changing circumstances. We ask everyone to remain calm and understand that the leadership of CCHS is on top of the situation.
Thank you for your support and shared commitment to our four-legged friends!