コロナ禍のストレス和らげる素晴らしい友達、ペットの引き取りが急増　米国

【ロサンゼルスＡＦＰ＝時事】米国では新型コロナウイルスの流行によって歓迎すべき状況が生まれているところもある。動物の保護・譲渡を行っている動物愛護施設だ。外出禁止令で家から出られない人たちが大挙して、保護施設から動物たちを引き取ったり、里親になったりしているという。（写真は資料写真）
　全米約４００か所の保護施設と提携している動物愛護ＮＰＯ「ヒューメインソサエティー・オブ・ザ・ユナイテッドステーツ」のキティー・ブロック代表は、「こんな状況は見たことがない。里親になったり、引き取ったりする人が急増している」とＡＦＰに語った。「どこの保護施設からも同じ報告がされている。多くの命が救われるのは本当に素晴らしい」
　ブロックさんによると、新型ウイルス対策の外出制限のために、動物保護施設の多くも閉鎖を余儀なくされた。そこで里親募集を呼び掛けたところ、外出制限を家でやり過ごすためにペットを探していた全米各地の人々から大きな反響があり、犬、猫、ウサギ、モルモットからニワトリまでが新しい家を見つけることができた。
　「犬を飼おうといつも言っていたけれど、今までチャンスがなかった」というカリフォルニア州サンディエゴ在住の教師、ジャリーン・ヒラリーさんの一家は、雄のアメリカン・ピット・ブルテリアの「メーソン」を引き取った。外出制限によって家族全員が家にいたので、スムーズに受け入れることができたという。
　「まずは慣れさせて仲良くなって、しつけもして、とにかく楽しい」とヒラリーさん。休校で友達に会えず、また不安を和らげるために何かを必要としていた９歳と１１歳の息子たちにとってメーソンは素晴らしい友達になったという。
　サンフランシスコの高齢犬保護・支援施設「マットビル・シニアドッグ・レスキュー」の創設者、シェリー・フランクリンさんは動物保護に携わってきた２５年の経験の中で今ほど地域社会から支援を受けたことはないと言う。「（３月に）屋内待機令が出たとき、この施設には８６匹の犬がいたが、４８時間以内にその全てを里親の下へ移すことができた」
　フランクリンさんは現在のコロナ危機のように普段と違う、ストレスが多いときにペットを引き取ったり里親になったりすることは、動物と人間の両方にとって良いことだという。「今、犬を引き取るのは双方にとって有益だ。けれど、朝起きる理由を必要とし、世界とのつながりを必要とし、孤独感やストレスを和らげる何かを必要とする人間の方が、受ける恩恵が大きいかもしれない」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/04/27-13:19）

Animals shelters across the United States are emptying out thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, as people confined to their homes are adopting or fostering animals in droves.
We've never seen anything like this, said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, which partners with some 400 shelters nationwide.
The fostering and adoptions have just been through the roof, she told AFP. Every shelter is reporting out the same thing. It's amazing to see how many lives have been saved.
Block said as the COVID-19 outbreak took hold, shelters -- many of which were forced to close because of stay-at-home orders -- launched adoption appeals, and the response has been overwhelming.
Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and even hens have found homes, as people all over the country look for pets to help them cope with confinement.
We've always talked about having a dog, but it was never the right time until now, said Jalene Hillery, a teacher who lives in San Diego, California, and who recently adopted Mason, an American pit bull, from the local shelter.
She said the fact that she and her husband, as well as their two young sons, are home has allowed for a smooth adoption, given that they have time to care for the dog and help him adjust to his new home.
We get to connect with him, train him, and that's really been fun, she told AFP.
Hillery said Mason has also proven a great companion for her boys, aged 9 and 11, who are missing their school friends and needed something to help ease anxiety.
The dog is filling a need... and is able to provide comfort and love and play, Hillery said. He's definitely filled the void in our home that we didn't even know existed.
It's almost like it's too good to be true.
- 'Alleviate isolation and stress' -
Shelters nationwide, from Wisconsin to North Carolina and Virginia to Colorado, are reporting that the number of people fostering animals has also skyrocketed.
Sherri Franklin, founder of the Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco, said she has never seen such an outpouring of support from the community in the 25 years she has worked in animal rescue.
When the shelter-in-place order came down (in March), we had 86 dogs in our care, and we moved them all to foster homes in 48 hours, she said.
Franklin said adopting or fostering a pet during these unusual and stressful times is beneficial for both animals and humans.
Adopting a dog during this time is an equal win for both the dog... but it's even more so for the human that does need a reason to get up, and does need a connection in this world and does need something to alleviate isolation and stress, she noted.
For Sarah Chan, 25, who lives in the San Diego area with her partner Morgan Miller, also 25, adopting Silvia was a no-brainer after they saw the cat's picture on the local shelter's Instagram account.
She's given us companionship and is a good distraction, said Chan, who works for a semiconductor company.
Lauren Amaral said she decided to foster two guinea pigs -- Ally and Emi -- as a way of helping her local shelter during these uncertain times and also for comfort.
Having them just makes me happy. They bring me a lot of joy, said Amaral, 20, who plans to get a nursing degree. Whenever I pet them, I just feel a lot better 'cause it is a stressful time, and these little pigs are just the sweetest girls in the world.