Clarissabelle had been in shelter for nearly two years — 721 days, to be exact. That’s an unusually long time for any animal to be in the system at the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA in Burlingame. But this gray tabby cat, thought to be between 4 and 6 years old, had special circumstances.

She came in with a case of alopecia that left patches of missing fur. The hair had since grown back, but for a time it gave her an odd look despite being otherwise healthy. And, unlike some cats immediately comfortable with new people, Clarissabelle likes her social distance — appropriately enough for these times. She was overlooked as people gravitated toward other, more demonstrative cats.

Then, on Saturday, Clarissabelle met Laura Krawec.

A program manager working in finance, Krawec lives alone in a 500-square-foot studio apartment in San Mateo. Not only was Krawec looking to adopt a harder-to-place animal, she wanted one whose personality wouldn’t require constant attention in the small space as she worked from home.

So far, the two have been a mostly perfect match. Already, the cat, now named Gracie, has had a measurable impact on Krawec’s living situation.

“She’s definitely made sheltering in place easier even after just a few days,” says Krawec. “We talk to our pets, you pay them compliments, give them nicknames. Having her here has already been helpful, even if she tried to swipe my nice sofa.”

It’s perhaps not surprising that during a time of greater restrictions on gatherings and social interaction, people would turn to pets to fill that void. But with shelter-in-place orders in effect, adopting a pet isn’t always as accessible as it once was. For instance, the adoption center in Burlingame is now open on a more limited, by-appointment basis, with the doors usually locked. But there has been a benefit to this: More serious prospective pet parents are visiting the center seeking companionship during the shelter-in-place order. It’s a change in operations that is giving some overlooked animals a second chance.

“People who make appointments almost always leave with an animal,” says Buffy Martin Tarbox, communications manager for the multipronged animal care organization. “Especially this past week and a half, we’ve had a spike in adoptions.”

At the East Bay SPCA in Oakland, adoptions have been suspended during the COVID-19 shutdown. But interest in fostering pets has been up since the shelter-in-place order. Marketing manager Kelcy Spaete reports nearly 100 shelter animals have already been moved into foster homes since the order. They are confident that they will be able to temporarily house more due to the outpouring of community interest.

The San Francisco SPCA has also had to suspend pet adoptions during shelter in place, but there is currently a waiting list of more than 1,000 people ready to foster animals, says SPCA President Dr. Jennifer Scarlett.

“We know pets bring so much meaning to people and the human community,” Scarlett says. “It’s about how to safely do this at a strange, crazy time.”

While navigating the evolving conditions of shelter in place, the Bay Area SPCAs are also bracing for what the future may bring. If the economy goes into a COVID-19 related downturn, it’s possible that donations to the organizations will also take a hit, according to Scarlett.

The San Francisco SPCA already had to postpone its annual fundraiser this year and there is a concern that in an economic recession, there may be an increase of people surrendering animals due to financial hardship. The shelter-in-place order also happened at a quieter time of year for organizers ahead of spring “kitty season,” when there are generally more surrenders of new litters of cats, something the organizations are also bracing for.

Even though Krawec was already considering getting a cat, she says the shelter-in-place order made animal companionship more urgent and likely pushed her into taking the step toward full pet adoption. Gracie has even become more social with her over the past few days.

“Part of why I usually commute into an office is because I enjoy the interaction,” says Krawec. “My friends think this is great, too. Gracie is under the bed now but she was just in my lap.”

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com

More Information