If you’re a football fan, you’ll probably be familiar with the NFL player Josh Lambo, the kicker for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida.

Aside from his passion for the field, the man is also a huge animal lover and definitely wants to encourage people to adopt animals instead of shopping around.

Lambo has been with the Jacksonville Jaguars since 2017 and also has some history with the San Diego Chargers. At 29 years old, he definitely has a bright football career ahead of him. And now he can add dog and cat philanthropist to his resumé, too.

With the current pandemic going on and the coronavirus which has drastically altered our lives for the past few weeks and a lot more months to come, Lambo wants to help put some attention on shelter animals in need.

Besides, with everyone now being quarantined at home, there’s all the more reason to take care of a dog or cat who desperately needs a warm place to stay.

However, a lot of people are wary about adopting pets, as they’d rather use the money for other things in the middle of this crisis.

For the record: there has been no proof that the SARS-CoV2 virus can be transmitted from a pet to humans.

There have been reports of animals being infected, but it reportedly does not replicate and there have been no reported cases of it being transmitted to people.

In other words, there’s definitely no reason to stay away from (strange) animals.

To try and encourage people to rescue pets from shelters, Lambo made a deal with the Fur Sisters shelters on Jacksonville’s beach.

He wants to help the people who are considering adopting but ultimately decide against it because of financial reasons.

That’s why Lambo offered to pay half of the adoption fee as well as dog food for no less than half a year.

“Anyone that adopts a dog from Fur Sisters in the next seven days, I will pay for half the adoption fee and I will pay for all of your dog food for the next six months,” Lambo said. “Let’s keep on giving these dogs the forever home that they need while we’re all staying home right now.”

“[I’ve] been reading lately how many dogs and cats have been getting adopted and rescued, which is so great,” he added. “I want to keep that trend going.”

The Humane Society in Jacksonville is also helping to encourage pet adoptions by temporarily waiving all paperwork fees.

They also want to make an effort to clear the kennels and are heavily promoting fostering as well, hoping that families will be willing to take in a dog or cat in need for a least a little while.

“This is a unique opportunity to be at home with your new pet while they adjust to new surroundings,” Jacksonville Humane Society spokesperson Lindsey Layendecker said. “Pets keep us in good spirits and help maintain normalcy and routine. Even if you cannot adopt, this is a great time to serve your community by providing a foster home to a pet in need.”

They’re hoping to clear the kennels in order to minimize or even cut the staff required at the shelters, as they are still at risk of contracting the virus from each other.

As long as the stay-at-home measures are in place, working on-site should be avoided as much as possible and an empty kennel would definitely help.

Luckily, it looks like the Coronavirus has had some positive effects on the status of animal shelters around the country.

For example, the city of New York is even dealing with a shortage of shelter animals! Who would’ve ever that would happen?! However, we’re pretty sure the animals won’t complain.

And for those who are looking to adopt in Jacksonville, FL, it looks like things will definitely be a bit easier thanks to the Humane Society and the generous act of Lambo.

To hear Lambo’s message to his city’s animal lovers, watch his Instagram PSA below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-PbDa6Hv_o/?utm_source=ig_embed

Source: Josh Lambo, Jacksonville, The Animal Rescue Site