COVID-19 has affected everyone’s day-to-day routines. From turning on the news, it’s not difficult to see that so much has changed, whether it’s college plans for the fall or the functioning of small businesses. However, little attention has been brought to the effect quarantine has had on non-profit organizations. Organizations, like Atlanta Rescue Dog Cafe, have been forced to quickly adapt and make programs and fundraisers virtual. While non-profits have exhibited true resiliency, many are behind in their finances and not meeting their monthly goals.
In a recent article, the Petco Foundation is highlighted for distributing millions of dollars to animal welfare organizations in the past few months. Many of these funds go towards rescue and shelter programs to help increase the number of adopted pets. Furthermore, Petco sponsors spay and neuter programs and many other initiatives to help combat overpopulation. On the surface level, it seems like Petco is significantly contributing to the animal welfare field. However, upon further inspection, it is clear that Petco is only addressing the symptoms of a larger issue.
Millions of animals are abandoned each year in the United States and given to shelters. Many owners cite that their pet was too unruly or couldn’t be trained. So, while Petco is doing great work in helping abandoned pets find new homes, what are they doing to stop animals from becoming homeless in the first place? This is where Atlanta Rescue Dog Cafe’s mission becomes so important. Instead of focusing on helping shelter pets, ARDC targets the root cause of the issue and seeks to educate owners on responsible pet care. This way, less animals can become shelter pets, and pets can have lifelong relationships with their owners. In turn, ARDC hopes to make both pets’ and owners’ lives better, and I am proud to be contributing to this incredible mission.