COVID-19 UPDATE
For our wonderful MatchDog supporters, followers, and potential adopters:
We always explain why we do the things we do, and we wanted to say something about our situation, and the situation many of our potential adopters are finding themselves in, recently and during this COVID19 crisis. We are always very transparent about our process, and some of you may already know the below information, but we wanted to make a PSA to make sure everyone has access and knowledge of the situation.
We have recently had a lot of folks asking us why we are finding ourselves with such large numbers of applicants for such a limited number of dogs. We are also being told that we should have a cut off point for applicants for a dog. To be honest, we are just getting our heads around this situation ourselves just like our adopters are! We’ve never needed a cut off for applications before, and we’ve never had a problem with it before. Folks are hearing that we are getting a huge number of applications for our dogs, and some folks are getting frustrated and upset about this and taking it out on our rescue and our volunteers.
For us as rescuers, it’s so heartbreaking to know that right now so many people want a dog, and yet right now there are dogs that are dying in shelters and on the streets, dogs that are being abused and that are unwanted.... And we are beside ourselves that even though we have grown larger over the past two years, we are still not a big enough rescue to have the manpower and resources to get them all here to you wonderful folks that would give them the best lives! We’ve already doubled our numbers to try and push ourselves to get as many pups here as possible (we usually bring around 50 dogs a month, we are now bringing 100!) But the demand is just so great right now we are still getting so many folks who are ending up disappointed, and it is devastating for us when we are doing our very best to match everyone with a perfect pup! We save more dogs normally than most but even we can't keep up with the numbers of interested adopters right now...
How we are running the rescue has drastically changed to adapt to COVID19… we’ve had some amazing changes (like the amount of folks opening their hearts and homes to adopt) but it’s been really tough to meet that demand. The sheer number of applications we are receiving and reviewing, the need to get dogs out of shelters and board them in private facilities now that many shelters are shut down, the higher cost of transportation, the huge loss of donations (especially food) that we usually get from folks and the sheer number of dogs we are trying to move to safety… a lot is really affecting how we operate.
At this challenging and frustrating time, the best advice we have for folks is: Don’t give up! be flexible and diversify, be open to the dogs that may look more “ordinary”, the beautiful wallflowers, the ones that people often overlook, the ones that don’t have great pictures. The most seemingly “ordinary” dogs can have the most beautiful souls and loving personalities.
During COVD19, MatchDog feels almost unrecognizable, but what stands firm is the dedication we have to our MatchDogs, as well as the dedication of our volunteers and adopters and how they have stepped up to the challenge. We know this will all calm down and settle after this crisis is over, and it will be way easier to adopt a dog. We truly appreciate folks putting their trust in us to find their new family members and sincerely appreciate the support and patience you have all shown to us! It means a lot to know that even though we wish we could do a whole lot more, what we are doing now is making a difference, and that’s truly all we can ask for.
From all of us here at MatchDog: It’s tough for everyone, but we are all going to get through this! We will not give up! And happy days with your best friend are just over the horizon, we know it! Stay safe and well!
