Many animal homes can be noisy and sometimes frightening. However, owners at Calverton's Kent animal shelter found an innovative way to make choosing an animal easy and fun for all: virtual pet adoption.
Through a video chat session, you can communicate with shelter workers and ask specific questions. Then, if you're interested, you go to the shelter in person to complete the adoption. .
The idea is to take dogs out of the kennel setting, which can be stressful and hard for them to show their true personalities.
Through the webcam, prospective owners get to see the dog interacting with people and even children and allow them to get a true sense of whether the pet will fit into their lifestyles. .
Mike Ayalon designed the system and he's still ironing out some kinks. The service will be availible starting next week, and by next month, he plans to go live with hopes of taking the concept nationwide. .
"My goal is for the first year for every shelter in the country to be able to double the number of adoptions that they do; and I think with this technology, it's possible," said Ayalon. .
