During the coronavirus pause, there seems to have been a mini-boom in pet adoptions in Pelham.

Maybe it’s because people are looking for something to do. Maybe in normal times, parents would say they can’t take care of a pet. They’d claim that they are too busy.

“Adoptions have increased throughout the quarantine,” said Dr. Alexandra Saura, a veterinarian for Venturing Vets in Pelham. “There have been seven new puppies in the last month.”

Pelham resident Michelle Acosta brought home one from a rescue organization.

“We were working with the rescue SNARR (Special Needs Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation) for a couple of months prior to getting Starry,” Acosta said. “We filled out a long application.”

Acosta explained how adoption is handled differently during the time of social distancing. “They called a couple references, and then we had a home visit via Facetime,” she said. “We met the transport truck at the adoption center, but we all stayed in our cars. We used our phones to let the rescue team know which car we were in so they could bring the puppy and its paperwork to us. She adds so much joy to our day, not to mention an excuse to go for nice, long walks, even in the rain.”

Tara Weishaupl, another Pelham resident, took in two kittens. “We adopted two orange tabby kittens from the Humane Society of Westchester in New Rochelle. We named them Rocky and Tang.”

The Humane Society said,”We have had 80 to 90 adoptions during the pandemic, which is generally typical during this time of year.” However, it said more individuals were interested in fostering pets.