Pet owners feeling a pinch can call local SPCAs for help, advice
"We will respond to every call we get" during the pandemic, Suffolk SPCA chief Roy Gross, seen in 2016, said. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
Both Nassau and Suffolk SPCAs are offering pet owners advice and referrals over the telephone during the pandemic, fielding questions about what to do if they fear running out of pet food as they wait to return to work, or if they fall ill with the coronavirus.
“We will respond to every call we get,” Suffolk SPCA chief Roy Gross said. Though that nonprofit cannot temporarily house pets, it can refer people to shelters that can.
The Nassau SPCA said PetSmart charities provided a grant to help pet owners coping with COVID-19. Its new hotline will handle calls about everything from food to veterinary care to temporary or supplemental care, it said in a statement.
“This COVID-19 pet hotline will offer valuable direction and assists to those most in need,” said Nassau SPCA president Gary Rogers.
Nassau’s 24-hour hotline is 516-843-7722 (SPCA). Suffolk’s equivalent is 631-382-7722 (SPCA), or email the Suffolk agency at headquarters@scspca.us.
