The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society will resume adoptions by appointment-only on May 1.
GMHS experienced an increase in adoptions for the months of February and March and is hoping that trend will continue.

“Many folks who were considering adopting pets and suddenly found themselves working remotely or spending more time at home have chosen to embrace this as an opportunity to welcome a shelter pet into their heart and home,” said GMHS Executive Director April Martinez.

“This is a win-win for pets and their people,” Martinez said. “It offers a unique opportunity to acclimate a pet, work on training, and spend quality time bonding with the new family member—all of which set up the pet and adopter for success. Not to mention, in the midst of an incredibly stressful and unprecedented situation with COVID-19, pets offer a much-needed source of comfort. Their presence in our lives affords us the chance to be fully present and bring mindfulness to our days, both of which are helpful in coping with challenging times.”

GMHS has continued to receive a steady stream of adoption questionnaires and has been actively processing them. The volume of questionnaires that have been submitted indicates that GMHS will continue to experience an increase in adoptions.

GMHS is experiencing a significant decrease in revenue and has started a Facebook fundraiser with a goal of $10,000.

“The fundraising landscape has shifted quite a bit in the last several weeks, and our greatest need is monetary donations,” said Martinez. “With an administrative rate of just 8 percent, donors can be confident in our stewardship of their gifts to GMHS and comfort in the fact that the vast majority of their donations directly benefit homeless pets and not administrative costs.”

“We remain wholly committed to our mission and are thankful for the friendship and contributions of our supporters who choose to invest in our life-saving mission,” she said. “Together, we will see our way through the challenges presented by COVID-19.”