Pet transport coalition getting adoptable pets out of South Georgia for a better chance

SYLVESTER, Ga. – Nationally, COVID-19 “shelter-in-place” orders have caused a pet adoption boom.  More people are home wanting some company or just having extra time to housebreak a pet. However, in rural Southwest Georgia, some shelters’ adoption numbers are stagnant. And one coalition is trying to curb this.

“We sent one that had been here almost a year and it got adopted within two weeks, so they have a way better chance up there,” says shelter manager of Best Friends Humane Society, Raegan Curles.

Months ago, she was experiencing overcrowding at the Best friends Humane society and today, 11 kittens and litters of puppies are leaving the shelter.

These pets are getting another chance, a better chance at getting adopted.

“In a rural area like Southwest Georgia we don’t have as many adopters and so the urban areas have many more adopters,” says Lulu Kaufman, founder of the Southwest Georgia Animal Transport Coalition.

Kaufman’s coalition helps local shelters adopt out their pets by taking them to emptier shelters in urban, northern states. 

“Some of these animals have been in our shelters for months and so they’ll get up to where their going and they’ll find homes within a couple weeks.”

The coalition stopped transporting for over a month due to COVID-19. But Kaufman says she’s glad to be back and busy.

“Its been great, we’re so happy to be back and running and getting animals out of Southwest Georgia.”

Founder and director of Going Mutts Rescue, Shelly Brady,  is also here to send off pets and she says she’s thankful for the coalition.

“It causes our shelters not to have to put down many animals, we send as many up as we can and that makes room in our shelter for more that are coming in.”

Brady suggests fostering a furry friend before making the huge commitment to get a pet during this time.

Some pets that were transported out of South Georgia made it as far north as Canada.