As the pandemic wound down, animal shelter populations exploded. Dan and Rachel Martinez knew the work they started was too important to stop. Garvin Thomas reports.
For everything that COVID-19 subtracted from the world, it added one thing to Daniel and Rachel Martinez’s life: time.
When the San Jose couple both found themselves without work during the pandemic, they chose to fill their newly-found free time with one of their favorite passions: helping dogs in need.
Dan and Rachel had, for years, taken an interest in the dogs in their neighborhood that could use some assistance: an outdoor dog that needed a dog house or the many dogs living in a nearby homeless encampment.
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With their extra time, they decided to do some extra work.
“It quickly became obvious to us when the pandemic settled in and the first stay-at-home orders were given that we weren't going to be working so we figured we could just focus all of our efforts on the dog rescue stuff,” said Daniel.
So, Dan and Rachel doubled down on their efforts, forming a nonprofit called Adopt My Block to help fund their work. They were not only able to offer more food and supplies to owners who couldn’t afford them, but they would also provide transportation and payment for those wanting to get their dogs spayed or neutered, and they began setting up a network of foster families to help keep unwanted pets out of shelters.
As the pandemic wound down, however, Dan and Rachel noticed the number of dogs needing help exploding.
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“Right now it is currently a shelter crisis so there is a population explosion and people are surrendering and re-homing their dogs at an alarming rate now,” said Rachel.
So, in 2020, Dan decided to make running Adopt My Block his full-time job.
"Once we realized how much of a need there was for the work and I kind of fell in love with it, too,” said Daniel. “I never met a dog I didn't like. I felt like if I can do this full-time, I should do this full-time."
The rise of “Pandemic Puppies” skyrocketed dog adoption rates during the lockdown, but with normalcy largely restored, owners can’t give their “Pandemic Puppies” the care and attention they once were able to.
Shelters became over capacitated and if a dog found its way there, it most likely wouldn’t find its way out.
“The shelter didn't used to just euthanize dogs and it wasn't just immediately a death sentence for dogs going to the shelter,” said Rachel. “Right now it is currently a shelter crisis.”
Adopt My Block has done what it can to mitigate the crisis.
That’s the message Daniel wants to send forward.
Whatever it is, big or little, just do what you can. Anything is better than nothing.
“If you can help, then help. If you approach it from that angle then I feel like most of the time you have success,” said Daniel.
