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PET OWNERSHIP AND COVID-19
COVID-19: Intro
Over the past two years, each of us has had profoundly personal experiences. And yet, some things seem shared by everybody. A common theme is a sense of loneliness - separation from loved ones has led many of us to new normals. Spending holidays alone, limiting large family gatherings, and replacing much contact with Zoom meetings. To help deal with this newfound sense of loneliness, millions around the globe have chosen to get a new pet. Studies have repeatedly shown that pet owners have better health outcomes than non pet owners, but there is disagreement as to whether this is truly causation (Utz, 2013 and Heady et al., 2007).
COVID-19: Body
Although long term studies about increase in pet ownership over the course of the pandemic are inconclusive, anecdotal evidence from the beginning of the pandemic suggests that animal shelters were often empty (Hoffman et al., 2021). Below, I have linked two such articles from April of 2020 about empty shelters and the people who got pets. “Shelter in place” left millions with more time than they knew what to do with, and many chose to fill those empty hours with a pet.
https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-pet-adoption-boom/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2020/04/28/coronavirus-empties-animal-shelter-cages-but-pets-still-need-adopting/3023196001/
COVID-19: Body
Those who chose to get dogs during the pandemic saw lots of benefits that other pet owners may not have. The ability (and necessity!) to take your dog for daily walks forced many people out of their house for some activity. Going on walks and driving to dog parks are relatively safe activities to do during Covid times, which gives dog owners an excuse to stay active.
COVID-19: Body
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