Animal Rescue Mission Launches Support Program To Aid Pet Owners In Time Of COVID-19 Crisis

With COVID-19 continuing to spread at an alarming rate, should you find yourself ill or hospitalized with the virus, do you know who will take care of your beloved pet(s) in the event of an emergency? If not, a team of animal rescue volunteers have come together to help.

The Animal Rescue Mission (ARM), a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Los Angeles officially launched The ARM COVID-19 Animal Support Program – an emergency response plan established to ensure that every pet owner in the Los Angeles area has access to a responsible, loving, and safe caregiver for their animal companions in the event of an emergency.

As the number of hospitalized Angelenos continues to rise, so does the fears of pet owning residents that lack someone to care for their animals should they themselves come down with COVID-19. Through ARM’s new program, the organization works directly with pet owners in the LA area to put an emergency plan in place so that – in the event a pet parent unexpectedly falls ill – a carefully matched volunteer is available to quickly step in to ensure their pet(s) are safe, taken care of, and their needs are met until the owner is able to return home. The program was created in response to the multiple inquiries ARM began receiving from concerned LA residents worried about what they would do should they need to receive medical assistance away from home – and specifically, who would be available to take care of their pet(s) while they recovered.

“As this pandemic started to become increasingly worse, I began receiving nonstop calls from friends and people with adopted dogs and cats frantically begging me to take care of their animals should they become sick,” said Shira Scott Astrof, Founder of ARM. “As much as I would love to think that I can take care of everyone’s animals, I’m only one person. That is when I realized the need to put in place an emergency plan in which we can create a functional system for not only those that have reached out to me, but for what I assume are hundreds of other people in the LA area with the same concern.”

The goal of this program is to provide pet owners with the necessary support, resources, and peace of mind knowing that the animals in their lives will be well taken care of at all times. Ms. Astrof continued, “The one beautiful thing we are seeing in the midst of this pandemic is the large number of people wanting to help and be available on an emergency basis to care for an animal whose owner has been stricken with COVID-19.”

Pet owning residents are encouraged to enroll by visiting ARM’s website and click on the “COVID-19 SUPPORT” link HERE!

To become a volunteer for the program CLICK HERE and then click on the “VOLUNTEER” Link to apply.

“It gives everyone a sense of comfort to know that their beloved fur babies will be taken care of in the event that they need to leave unexpectedly due to this virus,” said Ms. Astrof. “I’m hoping that other localities and cities will also create similar programs. We all have to be there for each other during this unprecedented scary time and my team is working 24/7 to make sure that we can help in every way possible.”

Like many animal rescues, ARM has experienced a significant increase in the desire to foster over the past several weeks. The organization has responded by implementing new protocols that have enabled them to continue rescuing and serving animals in need, while also keeping people safe in the current environment. Several of the organization’s higher-profile supporters have even stepped in to foster for them during the COVID-19 pandemic, including actress/activist Sophia Bush, actress Riley Keough, singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, and actress/model Angie Everhart.

For additional details on the ARM COVID-19 SUPPORT PROGRAM and how to help The Animal Rescue Mission in their efforts to ensure that every animal companion in the Los Angeles area is safe during this unprecedented time, please visit their website HERE!