Whether you adopted a pandemic pup or added an aquarium, pets are more important than ever.
Border Collie
Owner: Pauline Scott
Border collie “Kraken”
We’ve all quipped that the pandemic was engineered by dogs so their owners would stay home all day. It was a year of cats as coworkers. Jokes aside, though, pets have been critical companions during the past year. According to UVA Health, pets help ease loneliness, fulfill our need for touch, keep us physically active, and can even lower our blood pressure—the perfect antidote to modern life.
Here in Virginia, 56 percent of us own a pet: a third have dogs and a quarter have cats. That puts us in the middle of the pet ownership pack; Wyoming has the most, at 72 percent, and our neighbors in D.C. have the fewest, at 38 percent. That said, Virginia Beach and Norfolk, are ranked among the top 100 most pet-friendly cities in the U.S.
(Illustration by Rollin McGrail)
After the bumper year of adoptions, rumors have swirled that some owners are regretting their pandemic pets and returning them to shelters. Happily, the Richmond SPCA refutes this. “We are not seeing an increased number of adopted pets being returned to our humane center,” said CEO Tamsen Kingry in a statement.
Returns have actually decreased compared to the year before the pandemic, she says, noting that the Richmond Animal League reports a similar decline. Kingry speculates that all that quality time at home has helped people form better bonds with their pets, and says, “A strong bond is the most important factor in whether a placement will be permanent.” The Richmond SPCA also offers a wealth of proactive programs to ensure pet parents are successful, including a behavior helpline, pet pantry, and subsidized veterinary services. Says Kingry, “The Richmond SPCA will keep doing everything we can to make lasting matches between homeless pets and the people who will love them for a lifetime.”
Whether you adopted a pandemic puppy, added an aquarium, or just enjoyed a lot of quality time with your existing pets, join us in celebrating the furry, feathered, scaled, and swimming members of our families.
This article originally appeared in the August 2021 issue.
