The Humane Society of Harlingen adopted out or fostered 87 pets amid concerns regarding COVID-19.
The shelter opened with 87 pets in their care on March 19.
Through social media spread and reaching out to educators in the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District to foster while schools remained closed, the shelter held a curbside option for the community; adoptions and fosters were possible with individuals not leaving their vehicles.
By Saturday, the curbside option proved successful as the shelter closed with only six pets.
On Sunday, the shelter was met with an unexpected surprise — someone dumped a litter of five puppies outside the shelter.
The shelter’s efforts did not slow as by 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, the shelter only had two pets.
The shelter went live on Facebook to find a home for the final two pets and empty the shelter.
By 7:30 p.m., the shelter was cleared. According to a press release, no one at the shelter had ever seen anything like it.
The shelter thanks the community and hopes to show Harlingen is a safe place for pets.
