After temporarily stopping adoptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Gwinnett County Animal Shelter is now allowing you to take home a new pet for free and moving part of the process online.

Adoption fees have been waived in order to help get more pets into homes as the coronavirus pandemic continues, said shelter director Alan Davis in a statement. In order to keep visitors and staff safe, the shelter is moving the application process for adoptions and fostering online.

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Adoptions and foster placements will be conducted on an appointment-only basis. The shelter has adopted the policy in order to best follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social distancing guidelines, which include limiting groups of people to 10 or fewer at a time and encouraging people to stay at least six feet away from each other if they do not live together.

Meet-and-greet appointments where people can meet potential pets and foster pairings will be scheduled Monday through Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to wear masks when they come to the shelter, and staff will provide gloves to visitors upon arrival. Appointments are also required to turn in strays or surrender a pet.

The shelter has about 90 cats and dogs available for adoption as of May 18. All animals receive a veterinary evaluation before going home, and they’re microchipped, vaccinated and spayed or neutered.

Applications can be submitted at GwinnettAnimalWelfare.com. The shelter is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville.

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