The recent health crisis has taken its toll on all of us. And for animals – their world was turned upside-down too! Wild animals all across the world were roaming free in the streets, zoo animals got to walk around the property to meet other animals, and our domesticated pets are loving having us at home all the time! It’s certainly become a new world.
Recently, the shelter animals at the Animal Defense League of Texas got to go on a very special field trip to the San Antonio Zoo.
In the adorable outing, the dogs and cats got to get up close and personal with some of their (very) distant relatives. With the zoo’s doors remaining closed to the public due to COVID-19, the shelter staff and a few lucky animals got to have the entire place to themselves!
Workers walked around with the curious dogs and cats as they approached animal enclosures containing lions, leopards, monkeys, elephants, giraffes, and all sorts of other “weird” creatures they’d never seen before.
It was clear that the animals were having the time of their lives as the explored the foreign land. Tails were wagging and noses were sniffing with excitement.
Michelle Thorson, Development and Marketing Manager for the Animal Defense League of Texas (ADL), recently spoke with Bored Panda about the fun and adorable experience.
“All the animals were able to have such a unique experience with this event and it was enthralling to see them interact with each other. Carla, the 7-month old white lab-mix was the most intrigued by all the zoo animals. Her favorite being the Giraffes, who seemed equally as curious to see such a strange animal in front of them. Our kittens were in awe of the Hippos and fish, while Ella, the 6-year old black lab-mix thoroughly enjoyed watching the gibbons swing from rope to rope,” she said.
The Animal Defense League of Texas is the oldest, true no-kill shelter in the state of Texas. They work diligently to help find animals their loving and forever homes, however, the pandemic has changed the way their organization operates. Of course, the San Antonio Zoo has also seen their struggles since having to close their doors.
“ADL and our neighbors at the San Antonio Zoo felt a shared impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a devastating decrease in essential revenues and fundraising support,” Michelle went on to say.
After brainstorming about ways to help engage with the community and help raise awareness about their issues, the precious idea to have the meet-and-greet was born.
“Our two organizations wanted a way to bring awareness to the unique programs we as care providers offer to our resident animals, big and small. Few are aware that both of our organizations have similar foster and enrichment programs that are vital to the health and wellbeing of our animals. Sharing this fun visit on our social media platforms was a way for us to engage with our wonderful community, while offering enrichment to the pets at both the shelter and zoo.”
The tough times are far from over, however, and Michelle really wants to encourage people to stay involved – no matter how small. In order for organizations like ADL to continue operating, they rely on the generosity of the public.
“We continue our work tirelessly to produce a life-saving performance that set new records, as with nearly all other entities, the pandemic forced the closure of ADL’s elective low-cost services such as public spay/neuter and wellness clinics, which historically generate income to fund our life-saving programs. Now more than ever we are needing additional funding support to help sustain our strategic programs and ensure we can continue to serve the animals and members of our community in need. Those in the position to help can adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate!”
Watch the adorable animals during their zoo field trip in the video below. If you’d like to help donate to the ADL, you can do so here.
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