REGINA -- Animal shelters in Regina are seeing an unexpected uptick in adoptions and interested foster families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bright Eyes Dog Rescue has seen an increase in adoptions and more people signing up to foster.

"We adopted out every single dog we had available for adoption officially [on Tuesday]," said Chantal Cattell the director of intake and medical at Bright Eyes.

The Regina Cat Rescue is also seeing an "unprecedented" amount of adoptions and foster families at this time, but trying to coordinate adoptions during a pandemic has been a challenge.

"We're actually having trouble with the volume," said Alanna Whippler the adoption coordinator at Regina Cat Rescue. "A lot of these people are new fosters and they don't have existing pets. They need all the supplies to get started so that's a lot of coordination and work on our end."

Sarah Pierce from Weyburn recently fostered an adorable six-month-old puppy from Bright Eyes named Hazel.

Her typically busy family of five decided to temporarily take care of a dog in need while they have the down-time at home. But Pierce cautions families who usually have a lot on the go to be mindful of adopting during these uncertain times.

"Right now it seems easy and we have the time but at some point when things return back to normal this dog has an entire life left and we won't be able to give it what it needs," said Pierce.

For those able to make the long-term commitment, both Bright Eyes and the Regina Cat Rescue have processes in place to make the adoption process safe for both the human and animals involved.

More information on the shelters policies during COVID-19 can be found on their dog rescue and cat rescue websites.