PUEBLO — This pandemic impacted us all in different ways. But one thing is certain, it continues to be our mission here at News5 to work alongside you as we all "Rebound".
At the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, the stay-at-home order led to folks adopting dozens of animals, and nearly clearing out shelters.
One of those adoptive families is Dan Arnett and Sunshine Duran, who say adopting their dog, Wendy, improved their mental health and changed their lives.
Arnett and Duran met Wendy at the HSPPR shelter in Pueblo on April 2.
Back then, she was considered unsuited for adoption. But all that changed in the matter of three weeks.
You see, Wendy, a one-year-old Border Collie, was a stray found with a severe foot injury.
But Arnett and Duran told News5 they decided to take her in as foster parents, and use their extra time at home to give her the care she needed.
Soon, she regained her strength and started to show off her peppy personality, which gave them something to look forward to despite having to be locked in.
And that's when they knew, she'd be part of the family for good, and they made it official by adopting her.
"Not only does it enhance our lives, but it's kind of one of those things that it helps her, it helps us, you know, especially with the whole COVID thing," Arnett explained. "We kinda need some bright spots in life and Wendy has been, very quickly, one of those bright spots."
The couple says they would've never been able to rehabilitate Wendy if not for the stay-at-home order.
And even though their back to their usual work flow, they are still able to care for her, and make sure she gets plenty of exercise and play.
This is the kind of long-term success that the Humane Society tries to ensure when matching up pets with families.
Arnett says even when they were caring for Wendy, HSPPR made sure they would be fully prepared to handle her medical care.
When they adopted her, HSPPR spayed Wendy, and provided some essential accessories like a leash and a food bowl.
"When I think, 'Okay, well I'm gonna do this.' No, they already had it taken care of," Arnett said. "To the point where they're like, 'No, don't do that, because here you go. We've already thought about it. We'll take care of you.' Because, in my opinion, they wanna set us up, because if they don't set us up, Wendy is just gonna be, for lack of a better term, back in the system."
The Humane Society says the goal is really to keep pets in the homes of their adoptive parents, and they suggest anyone who is experiencing any needs or facing any struggles, to give them a call. Their number is (719) 473-1741.
HSPPR has community partners who can help with things like providing pet food, and there's also Facebook group for foster parents to connect and share resources with one another. You can find that here.
