Q: I saw a video of puppies at the aquarium on Facebook and thought it was a fake production until I saw it on the news. Can you tell me about it?
A: A collaboration between the Atlanta Humane Society and the Georgia Aquarium brought the puppies, Carmel and Odie, in for a visit recently.
In light of COVID-19, the shelter had to close its doors to the public and look for new ways to operate.
“My team, the marketing and engagement team, were tasked with ways to bring joy to people during this time,” said AHS Director of Marketing and Communications Christina Hill. “We also wanted to keep people engaged with their pets, celebrate the extra time we are spending with our pets and keep people informed about the changes surrounding COVID-19 and pets.
“We have puppies and kittens that bring joy just by sharing a simple photo,” she said.
Seeing the penguin walking around in the Shedd Aquarium (Chicago) tipped the team to create their own version for the community to enjoy.
The puppies visited the Ocean Voyager exhibit occupied by whale sharks seen behind the large acrylic wall. They curled up together in the bubble window a bit tired from all the activity, Hill said.
“They had a lot of fun running around, but not incredibly interested in the beautiful exhibit behind them with all the fantastic sea life,” she said.
The request for kittens came after the video of the puppies aired.
Five kittens visited the Tropical Diver, home of living corals and reef fish.
“It was a little bit surprising with the kittens, it took a little bit of time to figure it out. We had to show them the fish,” Hill said. “They were more interested in the people to begin with.”
The visits lasted about an hour.
Hill said the puppies have been adopted but the kittens are available.
“We are still doing adoptions through foster homes and there are still animals in our care that we are actually caring for,” she said.
A selection of resources has been launched during this time, including a pet hotline. “We want to make sure that people have what they need to keep their pets in their home,” Hill said.
For more resource information, visit https://atlantahumane.org.
To watch the outings, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/atlantahumane.
New to town or simply have a question about this place we call home? Email your request to atlactualfact@gmail.com.
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