Humane Society of El Paso heavily impacted by pandemic; animals still being cared for

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The coronavirus pandemic has impacted many organizations that serve our community. One of them: The Humane Society of El Paso.

The shelters at the Humane Society have closed to the public temporarily in an effort to comply with local stay-at-home orders and reduce the spread of the virus.

“It’s a pretty big impact,” said Lupe Diaz, Volunteer Coordinator with the Humane Society. “Our adoptions are on hold. Our fostering is on hold. Our volunteer program is also on hold, so it's been a pretty big impact. Our staff is there every day so the animals are getting a lot of one-on-one attention. They’re enjoying it.”

Diaz said that before the pandemic, new animals were being taken into the shelter as soon as other animals were released for adoptions.

She said that part of the reason behind suspending the adoptions is because the Humane Society requires a family get to know an animal before releasing it, to ensure it’s a good match.

“Since we're not having our adoptions, I mean our service fees is what allows us to continue to rescue,” Diaz said. “Since we're not having that, it has had a little bit of an impact.”

You can help the Humane Society by donating online, or donating a necessary item, such as a newspaper or dog toy.