Has the term “pandemic pet” been coined yet? If you’ve adopted an animal recently, you’re not alone: the number of pets that have been adopted during the past few months has skyrocketed above the norm. The BCSPCA reports that some animals, such as puppies, may receive 200 applications for the same pup!
Our goldendoodle puppy Frankie – although planned for long before COVID hit – arrived in mid-May, and there are two other puppies on our block that were adopted during the pandemic. And I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing the new puppy and kitten pics flooding my social media feed!
When we picked up Frankie, our breeder shared that she’d been receiving five to six applications a day for future litters. Making sure potential families were serious was her main concern, she said. Anyone who made a snap decision to adopt just because of COVID wouldn’t be considered, as it’s a decision with long-term impact that’s not to be taken lightly.
So why all the new furbabies? During this time of uncertainty, when many of us are struggling both emotionally and financially, what compels us to add a new member to our family?
On the flip side of all the changes and chaos of the world around us right now is a simple, constant equation: pets = love and affection. Who among us couldn’t use that, especially now? More than the emotional reason for adopting is a practical one: “Usually when people adopt, they don’t have two months to work on training.,” says Shauna Alcock, Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society behaviour coordinator. “They don’t have two months to work on bonding.” Time? That’s certainly something we all have plenty of right now.
So enjoy those goofy puppy antics and kitten purrs … and if the time isn’t right for you to adopt, rest assured that one of your neighbours will likely have a furbaby for you to borrow!
