Animal shelter donates medical supplies to help fight COVID-19

Since pet adoption services are temporarily suspended at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas, the shelter’s medical team came up with the idea of donating medical supplies they did not immediately need to support the efforts to fight COVID-19.

RCHS Veterinarian Dr. Julie Moews suggested that the Rancho Coastal Humane Society medical staff conduct an inventory to determine if there were items that could be donated to help local hospitals whose supplies were running short or had been depleted. Moews went to work on the project along with medical staff members including Jessica Stergos, Samantha Ann Hogan and Devin McCarty.

The team determined what supplies were necessary to care for the needs of the cats, dogs and rabbits until the next shipment of supplies and donated medical supplies they could spare to Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas. The donation included surgical masks, face masks, face shields, nitrile gloves and medical gowns.

The shelter’s Pet Food Band and Animal Safehouse programs continue to operate at the shelter. The Pet Adoption and Humane Education programs are temporarily suspended and the RCHS Thrift Shop is temporarily closed. For more information, to make a donation, or to take part in the “Virtual Pet Foster” program call (760) 753-6413 or visit sdpets.org.

— Linda McIntosh is a writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune