Americans adopted a record number of pets during the pandemic. But now, almost four years later, that boom is having effects some owners hadn’t considered. Cue Sara McLachlan.
Here’s Five Fast Facts About the End of the Pandemic Pet Boom:
- 🐈 Litter - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says that 23 million American households (that’s one in five) adopted a cat or dog in 2020, for a total of 71 million pet owners.
- 🐕 Woof - It’s created a logjam at veterinary clinics. More pets means more appointments which has led to long waiting lists. Things are even worse when you factor in the veterinarian shortage.
- 🐾 Meow - Returning to the office has created problems for pets who are used to their owners being around all the time. Especially separation anxiety on the pet’s part.
- 💰 Growl - Another challenge new owners hadn’t considered: pets are expensive. Ask anyone who has had their dog eat a sock. A quarter of pet owners are now struggling to afford the associated costs, and almost one in four are now in debt from pet care.
- 😿 Hiss - The effects are hitting shelters, too. The number of stray animals has shot up, leaving many facilities at full capacity. There are also fewer transfers between shelters to help animals find homes. There’s also the issue of pet owners trying to return their adopted pets. I’ll leave you to decide the ethics of that situation.
🔥Bottom line: The root of all of this is cost. Having a pet, just like having anything else right now, has become expensive. That wasn’t something anyone had really considered during the pandemic, but here we are, stuck in a rough (heh) situation.
Did you get a new pet during the pandemic?
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