Brazil authorities help pets find homes amid virus

After seeing the number of adoptions go down to zero at the beginning of the pandemic, the Rio de Janeiro city shelter is celebrating the success of their Pet Delivery Program.

During the lockdown in March, potential pet owners could not go to the shelters or open-air markets where pets are traditionally adopted, so the municipal shelter started a campaign on social media that introduced their animals much like a dating site.

Prospective pet owners would show interest in adopting, and the shelter workers would do the matchmaking.

The process is all online via Facebook or WhatsApp.

After the right animal is matched to the right family, a video call is set up so the owner and the pet can be introduced to each other.

"It is very gratifying,"  said the coordinator of the city animal shelter, Cintia dos Santos.

"There are days we do more adoptions in one day than we used to do in one month," said dos Santos.

To be eligible to adopt a pet, the person needs to be of age, send them their identity card, social security and proof of residence.

From there, someone will do a video call to talk about the characteristics of their home to help decide which animal is suitable for each family.

The pets are thoroughly prepared to be delivered to their new home.

They are all vaccinated, showered and dolled up to meet their new family.

"It was love at first sight," said Shirley Paiva.

Paiva adopted her first pet, a black puppy she called Chiara, through the Pet Delivery program.

Holding Chiara in her arms, Paiva felt emotional and compared the time she waited for the dog with the time she was pregnant of her daughter.

"It is like I was in labour; it is the same feeling. You have the same expectation that a son is coming to the world."