ATLANTA — While the coronavirus is upending life for Americans in myriad ways, it's also creating new opportunities for some of man's best friends.

In the Atlanta area and elsewhere , a surge in demand has hit shelters and groups seeking to foster dogs and other animals, many of which have been forced to close to the public and are operating with curtailed staffs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Nichole Dandrea, a spokesperson for Best Friends Animal Society – a nonprofit that works nationwide to eliminate dog and cat euthanasia and has an Atlanta shelter – says the Georgia site normally sees about 10 pets placed in foster care in any given week.

From March 16 to 20, with many Georgians working from home, 62 dogs and cats found foster homes.

"It saves a life and enriches the foster family's life as well," Dandrea says. "We put out a plea because of the epidemic, and given the fact that folks are working from home now and kids are home from school, a lot of people who have thought about fostering in the past but are never home were able to do it."

A potential side effect to the drastic increase in Americans who are socially isolating – whether voluntarily or under orders to do so – is loneliness, which has been linked not only to poor mental health but to serious conditions like heart disease and even death . Dogs, meanwhile, provide soft fur, wagging tails and potential health benefits , and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has no evidence that they can spread the COVID-19 virus to people.

At Best Friends and beyond, an aggressive use of social media played a big role in the rush, including through appeals and videos posted to Facebook and Instagram. Angels Among Us Pet Rescue in Alpharetta, Georgia – a nonprofit that works to rescue dogs and cats from "high-kill" shelters – also created a funny video about how new pets can cure boredom and curb sibling rivalries while school is out.

Tiffany Powers, an attorney and the group's board chair, says its foster applications are up 50%.

"It is of the utmost importance that we try and get as many fosters as we can during this time," Powers says. "It's a very frightening time for rescue organizations when shelters are either shutting down entirely or closing to the public with no adoptions allowed."

The situation has affected multiple shelters in Georgia alone: Good Mews Animal Foundation , located in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta , announced on its website that it was forced to shut down cat adoptions after a volunteer tested positive for COVID-19, though it would continue to work on foster placements. Another group, PAWS Atlanta , also is closed for adoptions and open to fosters.

For Best Friends, the vast increase in foster care has helped relieve the staff, which has been reduced to what Dandrea calls a "skeleton crew" in order to promote social distancing. The group's Atlanta shelter holds roughly 150 pets, so placing 62 makes a big difference.

Elsewhere, its New York shelter placed 67 pets from March 16 to 20, compared with its typical 30; Salt Lake City placed 42 instead of the typical 12; and Los Angeles placed 166, up from about 45 to 50.

"Having a pet in the home can help people heal," Dandrea says. "Emotionally and mentally this is a stressful time, and pets offer a really amazing way to alleviate some of that."

Atlanta resident Cheryl Scheck is one of the many who stepped up for Best Friends: She's fostering a 6-month-old bloodhound mix named Elvis and loving every minute of it.

"The dog becomes an extension of your family," she says. "They are always happy and just want attention and love. To me, it's calming. They don't ask for much and you get a lot back in return."

Recently retired from a 36-year career with Delta Air Lines and now a consultant, she's seeing many of her former coworkers struggle, but says a silver lining to times like these is people pulling together to help each other out.

"I love that the community is stepping up," Scheck says. "So many dogs were placed in foster homes, and I've heard that a couple have even been adopted."

Aside from spreading word about the need, technology also is helping in other ways. Angels Among Us, for example, received permission from the Georgia Department of Agriculture to conduct initial home checks via video chat for those hoping to foster a pet. The group also is hosting virtual adoption events.

Still, Powers warns that the "human crisis" caused by the coronavirus is also creating an animal crisis. She says some public shelters are having to euthanize animals due to uncertainty and employees being out.

She also worries about increased "dumping" of animals at shelters that have closed.

"As shelters are closing and people are getting sick, they're looking at their economic outlook and are unable to take care of animals," she says.

But Powers also is taking advantage and leading by example: Normally a big work traveler, she recently took in a foster dog after being grounded.