The ongoing crisis continues to have Luxembourg in its grip, including the country's animal shelters.
Luxembourg's well-known animal shelter in Gasperich (Déierenasyl) is also feeling the sting of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. 75 dogs and 29 cats now have to wait even longer to be adopted by a new family.
We met Liliane Ferron, who has worked at the animal shelters for no less than 20 years. She explained that she's seen a lot of misery in those years - but added that nothing rivaled today's deplorable situation. The shelter was forced to close its doors to the public.
There are two main implications of the closure: on the one hand, volunteers are no longer allowed to walk the dogs and, on the other hand, new adoptions have been put on hold for the duration of the crisis.
As Liliane explained, volunteers normally walked the dogs in the afternoons of Monday to Saturday. The mandatory closure of the shelter was mainly a precautionary measure to protect staff at the shelter. It could spell disaster for the shelter if they fell ill.
20 employees and 5 volunteers are looking after the animals and walking the dogs. Fortunately, no member of staff has yet contracted the virus, Liliane explained with a sigh of relief.
The shelter remains open for emergencies. Abandoned cats and dogs will still be brought to the shelter. If a pet owner has to be hospitalised, they can also contact the animal shelter for assistance (481313-1).
The shelter remains closed for the public until 20 April. Adoption procedures that have already started will still be completed.
