12 | MAY 7 • 2020
Detroit Dog Rescue responds to needs
of furry friends during COVID.
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jews in the D
W
ith the coronavi-
rus crisis keeping
many Michiganders
indoors due to Gov. Whitmer’
s
Stay Home, Stay Safe order,
there is a unique opportunity to
foster or adopt dogs.
Experts say it’
s good for both
dogs and humans, as dogs have
the power to help alleviate
stress, anxiety and depres-
sion in humans. According to
the Anxiety and Depression
Association of America, a phe-
nomenon known as the “pet
effect” shows how pets, includ-
ing dogs, can have a positive
impact on their owners’
mental
health.
A 2016 survey by the Human
Animal Bond Research Institute
of 2,000 pet owners showed that
74% reported mental health
improvements from pet own-
ership.
The benefits don’
t stop there,
though — another 54% of pet
owners reported physical health
improvements from pet own-
ership.
“I think there are a lot of
people out there who are sitting
at home and are compelled to
help,
” said Kristina Millman-
Rinaldi, executive director of
Detroit Dog Rescue, the first
and only no-kill shelter in the
city of Detroit. “Dogs can help
us get through this.
”
The 37-year-old West
Bloomfield resident, who
launched Detroit Dog Rescue in
2011, said a closure of shelters
due to the virus means that first
responders are contacting her
organization for help with stray,
abandoned or injured dogs.
“There isn’
t a shortage of
dogs who need help out there,
”
she said.
FOSTERING A FURRY FRIEND
While Detroit Dog Rescue is
in need of essential supplies
such as paper towels and
bleach wipes, another way
local residents can consider
helping is by fostering a dog.
The shelter is asking for at
least a six-week commitment
to minimize contact between
staff and foster families. Their
volunteer program is generally
made up of 80 people putting in
800 hours per week, but those
numbers have been severely cut
due to the stay-at-home order.
Millman-Rinaldi now has a staff
of eight paid employees taking
on all of the work.
Therefore, applications are
assessed on a safety protocol
basis. Detroit Dog Rescue
determines how and when staff
can do a home visit, which is a
crucial early step to the foster
process. Applications can be
filled out online via its website.
“We are used to dangerous
situations,
” Millman-Rinaldi
said. “Detroit Dog Rescue start-
ed during Detroit’
s bankruptcy,
during the foreclosure crisis. We
are used to tough times and this
is no different.
”
Still, the organization is mak-
ing it work.
Detroit Dog Rescue has fos-
tered 80 dogs since the begin-
ning of the coronavirus crisis,
a 50% increase from its usual
monthly numbers. The shelter
provides crates, food, toys and
medical care. They ask foster
families to provide two things
in return: love and a home.
TOP: Three rescued DDR dogs find out
what life is like in a foster home during
quarantine. MIDDLE: Over 300 foster
application came in when the Stay
Order was released. Reba was one of
the first fostered in Detroit while her
foster is on leave. BOTTOM: Thanks to
public support dozens of Detroit dogs
have found their homes during the
pandemic.
COURTESY OF DETROIT DOG RESCUE
Quarantine’s
Friends
BEST