SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — You’ve heard of curbside pickups for restaurants, but how about curbside pet adoptions.

That’s what the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society is doing now because of the threat of coronavirus.

Pet adoptions are on the rise as more and more people turn to animals as a source of companionship amid feelings of cabin fever and loneliness.

Meadow Bothel of Flandreau is one of many people who have found a silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic and his name is Diesel, a two-year-old pitbull-terrier that she’s rescuing from the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society.

“We were looking on the website and he was the only one that really stood out to me,” Meadow said.

Diesel is mild mannered and isn’t camera shy either.

“His caption of the last thing they put on their can I be Instagram famous with you after that I was like I need you I need you in my life,” Meadow said.

A growing number of people are adopting pets during the pandemic. At the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, they are now doing curbside adoptions.

“It’s just kind of an idea we came up with to get animals adopted that’s safe for the public and staff,” Meghan McNeil a Humane Society worker said

The animal shelter is still open, only operating under tighter restrictions.

“You do have to be fully screened instead of doing applications and doing interviews on site we are doing them over the phone now a lot of emailing back and forth,” McNeil said.

Diesel will join Nala, another rescued dog, at her new forever home.

“I love watching this one with my grandpa she’s literally his world his children hate it, you know,” Meadow said.

The two had an introduction meeting to make sure they get along with each other.

Meadow was thrilled to see the animal shelter was still doing business.

“I think it’s great I didn’t think about it, that they would stay open and go this far for curbside I think it’s great, they shouldn’t be kept in a shelter too long it does get overwhelming all the different dogs and the process so they are probably here a lot longer than they need to be with the whole coronavirus outbreak and everything,” Meadow said.

The numbers prove the program has been a success.

“Since we started doing curbside adoptions as of today, 134,” McNeil said. “A lot of people have more time at home I think that’s probably why we’ve seen the biggest rise more time to spend with the animals and get them acclimated to homes and things like that.”

Plus, pandemic pets fill a void in people’s lives right now.

“We’ve had some people who say they are going to be working from home, so it would be nice to have a companion; now is the best time to do it for them, so we just try to find them a companion during these uncertain times,” McNeil said.

But there are still over 150 pets here still waiting to be adopted, only Diesel won’t be one of them.

“That’s good, they all need forever homes it’s really great they decided to do something like this,” Meadow said.

If you’re thinking about adopting a pet and would like to check out curbside adoptions, we’ve posted a link to the Humane Society’s web site.