With millions of people forced to stay home as the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, many turned to pet adoptions as a way to spend their time at home. Now, as life starts to normalize, some of those pet owners are in a dilemma.
Animal shelters across the United States are reporting new pet owners are starting to look for ways to get rid of their recently adopted four-legged friend.
"Certainly as more people return to work, they're evaluating how they will handle their pets after being home for a year and now they have to do something different with their animal," said Astrid Kammueller, the site manager for the Animal Humane Society in Coon Rapids.
So far, Kammueller added, their intake numbers for the year have remained steady.
"What they're not doing in a big way is bringing them back to shelters," Kammueller said. "We certainly encourage people who we come into contact for the first to checkout some resources because most people truly love their pets and surrendering their pets would truly be a last option."
Demand for pet adoptions, particularly dogs, has not subsided, even as more parts of society reopen.
"We actually had 800 people wanting the single dog that we had available early on in the pandemic," Kammueller said. "It really has not changed that much in a year. It's just that dogs have become more available so we're able to help more people connect with animals."
The adoption process at the Animal Humane Society has changed over the course of the pandemic. Their website allows people to schedule adoption appointments through and adoption application.
"It's not as free as walk-in but it's about as close as we can get right now. It's working really well," added Kammueller.
Whether someone is interested in adopting a dog, cat, or other animal Kammueller says prospective pet owners need to ask themselves if they are able to commit time to their animal now and in the future.
"People need to decide what size and type of animal they want as well before jumping into pet adoption," Kammueller said. "If people can answer those important questions, then they should come in and we can help them find a match to fit the needs they have."