California animal rescue farm hosts puppies for companionship

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A California animal sanctuary hosted puppies from a nearby pet shelter for a day of lighthearted playtime while it is closed to human visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Gentle Barn, the Santa Clarita sanctuary for horses, cows, pigs, goats, chickens and other animals, invited five adoptable 10-week-old puppies from the Paw Works no-kill pet rescue center, and video shows their play day.

The puppies in the video were left in a cardboard box outside a shelter in Central Valley before Paw Works took them in, according to a joint press release from the two nonprofits.

(Courtesy of The Gentle Barn/Paw Works)

“Paw Works has always dedicated itself to being the voice of the voiceless,” Paw Works co-founder and executive director Chad Atkins said in a statement. “In partnering with the Gentle Barn, we wanted to remind everyone that big or small, the creatures of this world need our voice more than ever. And that feeling of fear and isolation that we are all feeling during quarantine is something that many of these animals experience every day of their lives.”

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As a result of coronavirus-related shutdowns and stay-at-home orders around the country, animal shelters have seen surges in adoptions.

Some have even run out of animals altogether, including shelters in Chicago, Colorado Springs and other cities.

PUPPIES FROM GEORGIA ANIMAL SHELTER VISIT AQUARIUM DURING CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN

(Courtesy of The Gentle Barn/Paw Works)

“Despite being separated, we can still come together to create more love around us,” said Gentle Barn founder Ellie Laks. “In times like these, all of us, including our rescued farm animals, need a little joy, fun and sweetness.”

The shelters said all of the puppies shown in the video have since been adopted -- including one that Laks took in as a surprise for her father, who recently lost a dog.