Pet Of The Week: Laurie At The Epicenter

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Life goes on and the new coronavirus outbreak hasn't stopped staff and volunteers from taking care of the cats and dogs at the Humane Society of Westchester.

The number of animals in their care is lower, just because the center is a construction zone as its long-awaited expansion is underway.

The construction goes on too. The fact that New Rochelle was the site of an intense cluster of new coronavirus cases in early March means that a state of emergency is in effect, schools are closed, and public health officials are running a drive-thru testing facility on Glen Island Park. But it doesn't mean that life doesn't go on.

After all, 80 percent of the people who catch the virus will have mild to moderate cases and recover on their own. Another 20 percent will have more severe cases that need medical intervention — and those most at risk are the elderly and those with underlying and pre-existing conditions.

This is Laurie. She's about 6 years old and very friendly. Nice purr. She's got a mild neurological disoder called cerebral hypoplasia, so sometimes she's a little wobbly.

Interested in giving Laurie a loving home? Call Humane Society of Westchester 914-632-2925 and visit at 70 Portman Road. They're open through the construction phase, and they're looking forward to the beautiful expanded buildings and updated facilities in January 2021, said Shelter Manager Dana Rocco.

"The shelter animals need to be fed, taken care of and walked," Rocco said when Patch visited Tuesday. "It's not a job you can do from home."

Volunteer work is still going on. And donations are still coming in. Bernadette Montemurro of the Bronx brought in some towels Tuesday for the animals' kennels as well as a check. The coronavirus didn't stop her from coming.

"It's nervewracking," she admitted. "But I pushed my fear aside."