COVID-19 Response

Great River Rescue’s Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak
Over the past few weeks, news regarding the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak has been everywhere. At this point, it is clear that it will and has affected every American. Our Federal and State governments have asked us all to take some pretty drastic measures to prevent the spread of this pandemic. It is the responsibility of all us to take steps to keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy. At Great River Rescue, we are faced with a difficult challenge because in the midst of all of this, our lifesaving work can’t stop. We are committed to saving and caring for companion animals. While much of the country and world come to almost a standstill, we need to do what we can to continue to save these animals. We also can’t just keep them confined at our shelter if possible because the longer they stay here, the more likely they are to get sick – not with COVID-19, but other diseases that affect companion pets. With all of this in mind, here are changes to our operations moving forward…
- Great River Rescue will remain open during our normal business hours, but by appointment only. Please call ahead before coming to visit the shelter pets. This will allow us to control the total number of people at the shelter and maintain proper social distancing.
- In addition to our already stringent cleaning and sanitizing protocols, staff will be sanitizing all commonly touched surfaces at least twice per day.
- We will continue to take-in animals as we are able, but may have to reduce intake if we can’t maintain a solid level of adoptions.
- The Furr Bowl event as it is normally conducted will be canceled. However, we will continue to promote it as a virtual event and continue to promote fundraising efforts. More will be posted about this soon.
- We intend to hold our first Petfixers Clinic on April 4 & 5. However, we will institute special protocols to promote social distancing and prevent gatherings of large groups of people.
It is important to note that according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) there is no known reason to believe that pets can spread COVID-19. For more information about this, please watch the following video: Click Here
Thank you for your understanding as we attempt to move forward through this difficult time. We expect and appreciate your continued support. Please remember that during this time we will still have all of our normal financial obligations as we continue to operate. Donations to help us maintain our level of service will be needed.
Brandon Mustful
Executive Director