TORONTO -- Animal rescue organizations from coast to coast are reporting a surge in demand for rescue dogs and cats as Canadians look for furry companions to keep them company during self-isolation.

CTVNews.ca reached out to half a dozen rescue organizations from B.C. to Nova Scotia, and each group said applications to foster pets have spiked, with some fielding six times more requests than average. One group received as many applications in two days as they normally get in six months.

鈥淲e have more foster applications than we have dogs right now, which happens almost never,鈥 said Rory O鈥橬eill, a dog behaviourist with

The reason behind the trend, the groups say, is simple. As COVID-19 shuts down workplaces and schools, many Canadians find themselves with enough time to welcome a new pet into their lives, either permanently or as a temporary foster.

Fostering was the original plan for Fiona Groves, 40, a fitness coach from Canmore, Alberta who recently adjusted her business to online sessions. She figured she had extra time for a foster dog.

鈥淭he idea was that, when I went back to work, obviously my schedule would no longer be suitable for a dog,鈥 she said.

Last Sunday, she picked up Maya, a high-energy greyhound mix, from Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue. There was only one staff member on the shift, and Groves said she was able to practice physical distancing during the exchange.

By Wednesday, Groves and her husband decided to keep Maya for good -- a decision sometimes referred to as a 鈥渇oster fail.

Falling in love with Maya was a major factor, but Groves added that the pandemic has forced her to reconsider what she wants her life to look like once things go back to normal.

鈥淭here has been a shift in perspective. I realized that I can鈥檛 keep on working those really long days. So I鈥檓 still going to be going back to my face-to-face teaching and personal training, but I鈥檓 definitely going to make some adjustments so they鈥檙e no longer 15-hour days,鈥 she said.

鈥淣ow I鈥檓 going to make sure my schedule is also dog-friendly.鈥

SOME ADOPTIONS SUSPENDED

While some groups are still offering fosters and adoptions, others have stopped. is putting all adoptions and intakes on hold for the time being out of concern for physical distancing.

Even so, the group has still seen applications for fosters soar, from 33 in January to 203 in March.

鈥淲hile we are so happy that people are offering to open their home to a rescue dog right now, we are looking for people who are still able to foster after they go back to work. Because we do not have any intakes planned at this time, we don't have any new dogs coming in,鈥 said Eleni Pallotta, assistant adoption manager with Save Our Scruff.

In Halifax, Marley鈥檚 Hope Dog Rescue has received 20 foster applications in two days. Typically, they鈥檇 receive that many in six to eight months. Regardless, the group isn鈥檛 processing those applications.

鈥淭o keep our volunteers and the community safe we are adhering to the public health order keeping to social distancing rules,鈥 the group said in a statement. 鈥淥nce the pandemic is over, we will process any applications we received."

While many adoptive pets are available domestically, some Canadian rescue organizations import stray dogs from overseas. The federal government has not banned animal imports during COVID-19, to postpone importing animals 鈥渁s much as possible.鈥

MAINTAINING PHYSICAL DISTANCING

But other groups said they鈥檝e been able to maintain social distancing throughout the foster and adoption process. and are only accepting online applications, and measures have been put in place to ensure physical distancing during meet-and-greets.

Second Chance Animal Rescue Society has been using FaceTime to do meet-and-greets with potential owners and foster families. When it comes time to meet a dog, extendable leashes are used to maintain the two arms-length distance recommended by public health officials.

鈥淚 know a lot of groups closed their doors, but we didn鈥檛 feel it was necessarily the right thing to do,鈥 said Terra Maclean, a training co-ordinator with Edmonton-based Second Chance Animal Rescue Society.

"We don鈥檛 know how long this situation is going to last. And the longer the foster pet stays in the foster home, the more attached and settled they get as well. And to unroot them in two for three months is almost unfair, if they can go be with their people immediately.鈥

Self-isolation may feel like an opportune time to get a new pet, but Rory O鈥橬eill with Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue said new dog owners need to take extra precautions not to smother their new pet with non-stop affection.

Her advice is to take occasional walks outside alone or spend time in a different room than your new pet. That way, it doesn鈥檛 develop separation anxiety.

鈥淲hen they go back to work, it could be upsetting to the dog because it鈥檚 a pack animal, it wouldn鈥檛 be used to be suddenly by itself,鈥 she said.