Pet adoption hit an all-time high in April 2020, during the early phases of COVID-19. Since the pandemic kept more employees and students at home, people looked to pets for comfort and joy during these stressful times. It created a high demand for adopting pets, so dogs and cats were hard to come by.
As time went on and more people returned to the office, animal shelters became concerned about pet abandonment. Thankfully, recent research shows no significant risk of animals being abandoned or rehomed. ASPCA took a national poll, showing about 1 in 5 households adopted a cat or dog since the beginning of the pandemic. Of these homes, the majority still have that pet at home, about 90 percent for dogs and 85 percent for cats.
However, the effects of COVID-19 make animal shelters face a new crisis. National Geographic reported that many shelters are hurt by staffing shortages, resulting in reduced operations, closing down more days of the week, fewer animal intakes, and fewer major adoption events. That's where adoption and foster care comes in.
Search for available dogs in shelters and rescues through our directory. Refine your search to find the perfect match and complete the adoption process at your local shelter or rescue.
