COVID-19 cases are back on the rise as business regulations and requirements of social distancing have gotten more relaxed in the state of Florida, which had previously been declared as the virus epicenter for the nation. While working from home and self-isolating, more people have been adopting animals to have some company and companionship, unsure of when they can return to their normal lives.

Amid all the uncertainty and chaos, there’s one positive takeaway: The Jacksonville Humane Society has been seeing an increase in animal adoptions since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Spinnaker spoke with Danielle Howell, a communications assistant at the Jacksonville Humane Society, about the increase of adoptions and how the shelter has managed to handle the public health crisis. According to Howell, adoptions and visits are now done strictly by appointment only. If there are any walk-ins, they must wait outside to ensure there is an appropriate number of people in the building to promote social distancing.

 Vet visits, vaccinations, dropping off strays, and animal pickups are now all done via curbside pickup. The shelter has had no reported cases of COVID-19 among the staff or animals. There have been few house pets officially diagnosed globally.

While animal adoptions may be rising in the surrounding Jacksonville area, Ospreys should be careful with having pets on campus. Regulation 6.0210R, which has been in place since June 7, 2016, prohibits students having any on-campus pets that haven’t been officially recognized as Assistance Animals by the UNF administration. 

If you’re living off campus and want a furry friend to isolate with, there has never been a better time to adopt.