MONTAGUE — A dog walking fundraiser for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter is among the latest events to have been modified to suit social distancing rules.
The “virtual dog walk” on Sunday, May 3, was set up as an alternative to the public fundraisers the shelter would have normally had this spring, such as a dog vaccination clinic, a parade and a pancake breakfast, said shelter Director Leslee Colucci. All have been canceled due to the pandemic.
How the virtual dog walk will work is participants will pledge to walk at least a mile with their dogs, and then raise money to donate to the dog shelter. There are also options to pledge to run three miles or 10 kilometers, or to walk five miles.
The registration fee is $5, but organizers encourage participants to collect donations beyond that. Registration forms can be found at bit.ly/2Sh6Jrx.
“It’s just to remind people that the shelter is there, even though it’s closed to the public right now,” said Amy Rubin Harris, the volunteer organizing the fundraiser. Rubin Harris is also the director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s veterinary technology program.
The dog shelter has continued to operate, but money is much tighter than usual, and services have been reorganized to minimize social contact, Colucci said. Staff and volunteers visit the shelter building only as necessary.
In March, when the state government started emphasizing social distancing, Colucci said the three dogs that the shelter had for adoption were sent to foster homes for the time being.
Services that need to happen through the shelter’s building — as when a dog needs medical treatment — are coordinated so as to minimize contact between staff and volunteers, Colucci said.
“We’re still working, but it’s not the way we like to do business,” she said.
As COVID-19 spread through Massachusetts, Colucci said the shelter expected to be strained by an increase of people suddenly unable to take care of their dogs.
Surprisingly, that hasn’t happened, she said, even as other shelters in the area have been strained. Some have contacted the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter to ask for help in case they are pushed beyond capacity. However, Colucci said the Franklin County shelter, expecting a rush sooner or later, has been hesitant to commit to anything.
“We’re shocked right now that there hasn’t been more dogs coming in,” she said. “Are we expecting them to? Yes.”
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.