(CNN) Animal shelters across the US are making the hard decision to close their doors to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic.

As more people are being told to stay home nationwide, shelters and humane societies are trying to place as many animals in homes as quickly as possible.

In Philadelphia, for example, Morris Animal Refuge closed to the public Tuesday until further notice.

"The most important part of this is getting the animals out of the shelter and into homes whether it be temporarily or permanently," Carly Gove, a Morris volunteer coordinator and marketing assistant, told CNN. "Our community has been so great already."

Gove estimates the shelter started with about 40 animals and now, a few days later, it's left with six cats, four guinea pigs and two gerbils. Five potential adopters were scheduled to come in Wednesday, she said.

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