The animal shelters in Wallaceburg and Chatham are temporarily being closed to the public.
Myriam Armstrong, operations manager for Pet And Wildlife Rescue, said they have been closely monitoring the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic over the past week.
“While the risk of exposure to the virus at our shelters is currently low, the risk may increase with the influx of foot traffic during holidays and school closures,” Armstrong said in a media release.
“In order to protect our staff and the general public we are taking the following steps to reduce the risk of transmission at our facilities.”
Armstrong added until further notice, only the following services will be available at their locations at 405 Park Ave. E in Chatham and 113 Arnold St. in Wallaceburg:
– Scheduled surrenders
– Stray drop offs
– Stray reclaims
– Quarantine services (dogs and cats)
– Scheduled adoptions
– Food pickups from our food bank
Armstrong said animal control will operate as usual and all calls will be addressed. She said volunteers are asked to schedule their visit with our volunteer coordinator.
“In closing, we thank everyone for your understanding and continued support as we work our way through this evolving situation,” Armstrong stated.
“We will post regular updates as the situation evolves.”
If anyone has any questions they can contact PAWR’s office during business hours at 226-996-9969 or email at pawrrescue@gmail.com
“Please remember that our emergency line is only designed for dogs at large and dog bites after hours,” Armstrong added.
Dr. David Colby, Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer of Health, ordered various measures on Friday, March 13 to control the spread of COVID-19 and he also declared a local emergency as a result. Details, here & here.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on Wednesday. Details, here.
For a list of local cancellations, postponement and further updates, click here.
