By ABBY GROFF
Staff Writer
Animal shelters and rescues around America have been experiencing increasing adoption rates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families have realized that there’s no more perfect time to bring home a furry friend when they are nowhere else but home. As a result of the rapid demand for more pets, shelters have found themselves running low on dogs and cats, allowing for these sweet pups to find a forever home faster than ever before.
Most rescue organizations are said to have experienced double the amount of adoptions compared to the year prior. One Nevada shelter reported 288 more adopted cats within the first eight months of 2020 compared to the year prior. As for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, located in Arlington, Virginia, they saw 1,800 more dogs than usual get adopted during the infamous year of the pandemic. With all these animals being brought home as a result of high demand to entertain children or the desire to have a comfort animal, what will this mean for these pets post pandemic?
Obviously we’ve never been isolated at home as much as we are today. We may find our dogs or cats excited to spend an increased amount of time with us. As they get used to this seemingly infinite amount of bonding time, how will they react once the virus is gone and we’re back to our normal everyday lifestyles? Some dogs with separation anxiety could find this transition difficult. Other families might find less time to care for their companions as they return to work. While this is highly unlikely, it’s still a situation that’s been on my mind. The ending of the COVID-19 might just lead to shelters having more animals looking for homes compared to the lacking amount of animals mid-pandemic.