New York City, one of the areas suffering most from the coronavirus pandemic, is seeing a drastic uptick in dog and cat adoptions, as New Yorkers look toward companion animals for friendship and stability during this time of crisis.

Two NYC-based animal rescue organizations, Muddy Paws Rescue and Best Friends Animal Society, reported that adoption applications have increased as much as tenfold in recent weeks.

People are fostering more animals as well.

“For the moment, we definitely don’t have any dogs left to match with foster volunteers,” Anna Lai, the marketing director for Muddy Paws, told Bloomberg, “Which is a great problem to have.”

While the decrease in shelter dogs and cats is certainly good news, there is still no shortage of adoptable animals in New York City.

“No shortage!,” wrote the spokesperson for Animal Care Centers of NYC, Katy Hansen, in an email to HuffPost. “Sure, we don’t have puppies or teacup poodles, but we are getting animals in every day, and we anticipate a surge in the coming weeks.”

With the economy’s uncertain future, some organizations fear that shelters will soon fill back up.

“We’re doing whatever we can to empty all of our shelter facilities,” Lisa LaFontaine, CEO of the Humane Rescue Alliance, told Bloomberg. “We don’t know what’s going to happen when the economic wave starts hitting.”

It’s important for pet guardians and those who are considering adopting a pet to remember that caring for an animal is a long-term commitment, rather than a temporary reprieve from stress, anxiety and loneliness. While it’s not always possible to predict future hardships, adopting a cat or dog should come with the intention of providing that animal with a loving forever home. Please, have a plan in place for your furry friends for after this coronavirus tragedy ends.

As more animals in need are paired with caretakers during this challenging time, we are reminded of how dogs, cats and other animals add to our quality of life.

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