Demand for rescue animals has soared in Australia as people stuck at home because of the coronavirus seek out cats and dogs to help them through the pandemic, officials said Wednesday.

In New South Wales, adoptions and foster inquiries have risen 300 percent, Steve Coleman, the chief executive of animal welfare charity RSPCA NSW, told AFP.

“It’s been really motivating to see many people turn to animals for some companionship over the next few weeks, if not months,” Coleman said.

While many people were taking animals on a temporary basis, Coleman said it was still a much-needed service and often led to permanent arrangements.

“We call it a ‘foster fail’. There are many people that endeavor to foster that end up not being able to return the animal because they’ve fallen in love with it,” he said.

Most cages at a normally packed RSPCA shelter in Sydney were empty when AFP visited this week.